Xbox’s New CEO Officially Marks the End of an Era

26 Apr at 12:44 Comment Views: 7

Patch Notes is our weekly newsletter where we curate the best of Polygon, delivered to your inbox every Friday and featured on our site each Sunday. Subscribe here.

Asha Sharma is orchestrating a total reset. As the newly appointed CEO of Microsoft’s gaming division, she has signaled a clean break from the previous administration, making it clear that no past policy is safe from a potential overhaul.

The most significant shift involves correcting the trajectory of Game Pass. Following last year’s polarizing 50% price hike—a move that arguably backfired—Sharma is pivoting toward a strategy focused on sustainability. Most notably, Call of Duty titles will no longer launch on Game Pass on day one. While this might ruffle some feathers, it is a pragmatic move to protect revenue; it marks a stunning, if necessary, reversal of the logic that justified Microsoft’s massive $69.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in the first place.

On a momentum-fueled spree, Sharma has also rebranded the entire division. “Microsoft Gaming”—a term that felt both cumbersome and uninspired—is out. The company is now simply “Xbox.” In a candid internal memo co-signed by studio lead Matt Booty, Sharma declared, “We are Xbox.” Whether you find this sentiment inspiring or corporate-speak, it’s a direct acknowledgment of the volatility facing the brand. As a piece of branding, it’s a smart move to unify the division under a legacy name that still carries genuine weight.

Sharma’s agenda goes further, promising to “reevaluate our approach to exclusivity, windowing, and AI.” By tackling these touchy subjects head-on, she is testing the waters to see if she can restore player trust. Even a partial pivot away from Microsoft’s recent “everywhere, for everyone” distribution model could stabilize the platform’s identity. Furthermore, her focus on affordability in an era of rampant industry inflation is a bold, welcome stance.

Asha Sharma and Matt Booty talk to the Xbox staff — Asha Sharma and Matt Booty addressing the Xbox team.

Of course, one must wonder how much autonomy Sharma truly has. Every new executive enjoys a honeymoon period, but the harsh realities of corporate mandates from above often set in quickly. Phil Spencer’s previous strategy of distributing games across Steam, Sony, and Nintendo platforms wasn’t just a choice—it was likely driven by top-down financial pressure. We have to wait and see how long the company’s finance team allows her to prioritize brand identity over short-term revenue.

Furthermore, does “We are Xbox” represent a true return to console-first hardware, or is it just a fresh coat of paint on the same “ecosystem-first” strategy that caused such confusion previously? With mentions of cloud gaming and reaching 500 million players, the rhetoric sounds eerily similar to the recent past. That said, I am cautiously optimistic. Hearing an Xbox CEO mention “Game Pass” and “sustainable economics” in the same breath is a refreshing dose of reality.

The most promising line in her message? “We have to be honest about where we are. We’re a challenger.” For too long, Microsoft has tried to obscure its position in the market by moving the goalposts. Its best work, however, happened back in the original Xbox and 360 days, when the company was fueled by the hunger of an underdog. If Sharma can channel that scrappy, combative spirit once more, she might just have a path forward.

New Xbox CEO says Microsoft will ‘reevaluate our approach to exclusivity’

Michael McWhertor dissects the implications behind the ‘We are Xbox’ manifesto.

Xbox’s big bet on Call of Duty didn’t pan out

I examine the difficult questions raised by the current shifts in Game Pass policy.

Please just put the entire Call of Duty series on Game Pass

Ari Notis continues his campaign to get every mid-tier shooter on the service, this time making the case for Infinite Warfare.

Also this:

Titanium Court balances strategy and chaos: Giovanni Colantonio tries to unpack the brilliance of this indie gem that always stays three steps ahead of the player.
Big Matthew on Shelf Quest: The K-pop star and Beef actor joins us to discuss his gaming habits and his time on the Call of Duty servers.
The legacy of Strixhaven: Jake Kleinman explores the history of the Magic: The Gathering set that dared to build a magical school to rival Hogwarts.
Andy Serkis on Animal Farm: Tasha Robinson sits down with the director to discuss the creative vision behind his controversial Orwellian adaptation.
The contradiction of Diablo 4: I explore why the improved story in Lord of Hatred sometimes feels like an obstacle to the satisfying grind of the core gameplay.