Xbox Leadership Shakeup and Strategic Moves Under New CEO Asha Sharma
By Published May 5, 2026, 3:21 PM EDT Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2026 and editing since 2026. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted. Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap
UPDATE: 2026/05/05 16:46 EST BY BEN BROSOFSKY
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Confirms Changes
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma officially announced the internal changes on , along with the planned retirement of the Microsoft Copilot AI companion on mobile and console.
is in a major transitional period right now, and the latest report confirms a new series of internal changes that could have a big impact on the company. Following the recent departure of and Xbox President Sarah Bond, the new CEO, Asha Sharma, hasn't hesitated to reposition the brand.
In recent weeks, that's meant the announcement of the next-gen Project Helix, a reduction in the price of Xbox Game Pass, and a new logo that returns to the neon greens of olden Xbox. Today, a major team reorganization is apparently playing out, which could shape further decisions to come.
's Tom Warren reported on the team reorganization, sharing quotes from Sharma's internal memo to employees and details about the new faces at Xbox. Apparently, a number of Sharma's former compatriots in Microsoft's CoreAI division are now joining Xbox, including Jared Palmer, former CoreAI VP of design Tim Allen, former CoreAI head of growth Jonathan McKay, and former CoreAI general manager, Evan Chaki.
On the other end, corporate vice president of Xbox devices and ecosystem will transition to a role as an advisor after a leave of absence later this year. Corporate vice president of Xbox user experience Kevin Gammill will be stepping down following nearly two decades at the company. Jason Ronald, vice president of next gen, will get a promotion (of a currently unclear nature).
If you're anything like me, seeing a bunch of names previously associated with AI moving into the Xbox team isn't exciting, but Warren's report highlights the lack of a clear AI agenda involved in the restructuring. The new roles within Xbox aren't tangibly associated with AI, and Sharma has previously offered reassurances that "soulless AI slop" is not on the agenda.
Either way, an internal shake-up this large will certainly result in some shifts in priorities. Hopefully, Xbox can build on the momentum established by and earn back some of the community that's drifted away in recent years.
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Until we see what the next generation of consoles and some of the long-gestating upcoming games actually look like, though, a healthy dose of skepticism could go a long way. With recent economic challenges and affecting the entire industry, delivering a console future that makes everyone happy could be an uphill battle for any company, and Xbox has its work cut out for it.
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