Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond Step Down
Another chapter in the history of Microsoft's gaming division has come to a close. A couple of hours ago, company employees received emails confirming the departure of Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and Xbox Chief Operating Officer Sarah Bond. Both will leave their positions on February 23rd.
Replacing "Big Phil," Microsoft Gaming will be led by Microsoft President of CoreAI Products Asha Sharma. At the same time, the current head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, will be promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer.
In life, you rarely get the clarity that a chapter is coming to an end, but after 38 years at Microsoft, that moment has arrived for me. I've made the decision to retire and begin the next chapter of my life. This is a significant milestone that has given me the opportunity to look back on the incredible journey I've been fortunate to share with so many of you.
I'm thrilled that Asha Sharma will take on the role of CEO. She will join an incredible team of talented, dedicated people who genuinely care about players. She approaches the work with a deep respect for the foundation we've built, and I'm confident our Xbox communities will receive her full support in the years to come.
Looking back on starting my career as an intern in 1988, I could never have imagined the path ahead. I've been fortunate to work with so many creative people, partners, colleagues, and players—people who have challenged me, taught me, and filled my work with joy.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of this chapter. This community means more to me than I can express in words.
From here, I'll continue doing what has always been so important to me: cheering on the teams that move the industry forward and playing alongside this incredible community. See you online! Phil Spencer in his microblog
Below is the full translation of the emails from the individuals directly involved:
From the very beginning, games have been part of Microsoft's activities. Flight Simulator launched before Windows, and you can draw a direct line from the DirectX of the 90s to modern technologies. This year, Xbox turns 25, and we have vast opportunities for innovation. Today, we have over 500 million monthly active users, we are a leading publisher on all platforms, and we continue to advance technology in gaming hardware, content, and community for the benefit of creators and players worldwide.
I have long been involved with games and their role in realizing our ambitions. I am pleased to announce that Asha Sharma will become the Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Over the past two years at Microsoft, and before that as Chief Operating Officer of Instacart and Vice President at Meta*, Asha has helped build and scale services that reach billions of people and support thriving ecosystems of consumers and developers. She brings extensive experience in creating and growing platforms, aligning business models with long-term value, and operating globally, which will be crucial for transitioning our gaming business to its next phase of growth.
Matt Booty will become Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, reporting to Asha. Matt's career is a story of a lifelong dedication to games and the people who make them. Under his leadership, the Microsoft Gaming family has grown to nearly 40 studios (including Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, and King), which are home to beloved franchises such as Halo, The Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Candy Crush, and Fallout.
Together, Asha and Matt represent the perfect combination of consumer product leadership and deep gaming industry expertise, which will allow us to continue advancing our platform and content.
Last year, Phil Spencer made the decision to leave the company, and since then, we have been discussing succession planning. I want to thank Phil for his outstanding leadership and partnership. Over 38 years at Microsoft, including 12 years as head of the gaming division, Phil helped change what we do and how we do it. He expanded our presence on PC, mobile, and cloud services, nearly tripled the scale of the business, helped shape our strategy through the acquisitions of Activision Blizzard, ZeniMax, and Minecraft, and strengthened the corporate culture across all our studios and platforms.
I have long admired Phil's unwavering dedication to players, developers, and his team, and I am personally grateful for his guidance and counsel. He will continue to work closely with Asha to ensure a smooth transition.
Our studios are home to incredibly talented people, and our global platform is unmatched. I look forward to us seizing the opportunities ahead and defining what comes next, while never losing sight of what matters to players and content creators.
Please join me in congratulating Asha and Matt on their new roles and thanking Phil for everything he has done for Microsoft and the entire industry.
When I joined Microsoft as an intern in June 1988, I could never have imagined the products I would help create, the players and customers we would serve, and the amazing teams I would have the fortune to work with. It has been an incredible story and the greatest luck of my life.
Last fall, I shared with Satya my thoughts about wanting to step back and begin a new chapter. We then decided to approach this transition thoughtfully, ensuring stability and strengthening the foundation we have laid.
Xbox is not just a business. It is an active community of players, creators, and teams who care deeply about what we do and