"After over 20 years at Xbox, Phil Spencer, the face of the brand for more than a decade, has announced he's retiring from the company . Sarah Bond, the president at Xbox, is also out and Asha Sharma, the president of Microsoft's CoreAI product, is taking over as CEO of Microsoft Gaming. It sounds bleak for Microsoft's long-struggling gaming brand, though Sharma said in her initial email to employees that her goal was not to flood the Xbox ecosystem with "soulless AI slop." Is that the truth or just something you say to placate your workers?"
"Only time will tell, but Microsoft has been notoriously pushing for AI integration in its workflow, so do with that information what you will. Now that Spencer is out, however, the internet is looking back on his tenure at the company, speculating about whether or not he and Bond were forced out of their leadership positions, and wondering what all this means for the future of Xbox. The forecast is not great."
"RIP Xbox. It was a hell of a run. https://t.co/ahCxIfrug8 - RGT 85 (@RGT_85) February 20, 2026 lol fucking called it https://t.co/oZr3p3nCJ5 pic.twitter.com/WPXsoYkrxb - Shpeshal Nick (@Shpeshal_Nick) February 20, 2026 Sarah Bond was the fall guy at Xbox. - John Hartsfield (@JackmoveJohnny) February 20, 2026"
Phil Spencer, after more than 20 years at Xbox and more than a decade as the brand's public face, has announced his retirement. Sarah Bond, president at Xbox, has also departed. Asha Sharma, president of Microsoft's CoreAI product, will become CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Sharma said in her initial employee email that she does not intend to flood the Xbox ecosystem with "soulless AI slop." Microsoft has been pushing AI integration across its products. Observers online speculate about forced departures and worry about Xbox's future under AI-focused leadership, with sentiment ranging from nostalgia to pessimism.
Read at Kotaku
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