For the last couple of days, people have been talking about Xbox’s fate. And there seem to be two major reasons for that. The first reason is some of Xbox’s biggest franchises (Forza and Halo) are no longer exclusives. And the second is Xbox chief Phil Spencer and president Sarah Bond leaving the company. These developments have led many fans to question what Microsoft really wants to do with Xbox in the long run. In a recent internal Q and A session, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressed these concerns directly. The Q and A was hosted by the new Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma.
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Satya Nadella says gaming remains a core at Microsoft
According to Windows Central, who have obtained a transcript of the session, Nadella made it clear during his address that Microsoft is not planning to move away from gaming and it remains one of the core pillars of the company.
He explained that Microsoft has always been built around a few important identities such as being a platform company, a developer focused organisation and a business that supports knowledge workers. Gaming, he said, sits right alongside these areas and continues to play an important role in Microsoft’s overall strategy.
Nadella also pointed out that gaming has historically helped shape many of Microsoft’s technologies. He mentioned how the development of tools such as DirectX helped accelerate the growth of graphics technology and the wider GPU ecosystem. In his view, gaming has often pushed the boundaries of hardware and software innovation inside the company. Because of this, Microsoft plans to keep investing in the space for the long term.
He also credited several leaders who helped build Xbox over the past two decades, including Phil Spencer, Matt Booty and Sarah Bond. Their work, according to Nadella, helped grow Xbox into a major gaming platform that continues to influence the wider tech industry.
Nadella also spoke about the importance of maintaining trust with players who already support the platform. He explained that Microsoft wants Xbox fans to feel confident about the future of the brand. Whether players prefer consoles, PC gaming or specific franchises such as Halo and Forza, he said Microsoft wants to continue serving those communities.
“We have to make sure that the friends we have today, are the friends that you have tomorrow,” he said and added, “You want to wake up feeling like your friendship has even grown stronger. We have to really make sure, whether it’s console, whether it’s PC, whether it’s the lover of Forza, Halo, we really want to make sure they love us for what they expect us to do.”
What did Xbox new CEO Asha Sharma say?
While reaffirming Microsoft’s commitment to gaming, the company also admitted that Xbox is currently going through a period of change. The brand has faced criticism recently, especially after Microsoft decided to bring some of its major franchises to rival platforms. For many fans, this raised questions about whether Xbox still has a clear identity.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma addressed this during the discussion and said the company is actively reviewing its strategy. She described the current phase as a time when many decisions are being reconsidered. According to her, the goal is to understand how Xbox can evolve while still keeping its existing community engaged.
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