Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond Leaving as Xbox Names New EVP and Content Chief
phil spencer and Sarah Bond are departing Microsoft Gaming, with Asha Sharma stepping into the EVP and CEO of Gaming role and Matt Booty promoted to EVP and chief content officer. The leadership change is being announced as the company adjusts its Xbox strategy amid device shifts and business pressure.
Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond Depart
The company confirmed that Bond and the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, will be leaving. The move was announced alongside the appointments of Asha Sharma as EVP and CEO of Gaming and Matt Booty as EVP and chief content officer. Spencer’s communication notes that Bond will be leaving to "start a new chapter, " language that frames her exit as voluntary and transitional.
New leadership lineup at Xbox
Asha Sharma will assume the EVP and CEO of Gaming role, while Matt Booty has been elevated to lead content as EVP and chief content officer. The personnel shifts reassign oversight for devices, player and creator experiences, strategy, and business planning—areas Bond had been responsible for after her promotion to president of Xbox in 2023.
Why the timing matters
Microsoft is making the changes during a period of notable strategic adjustment for Xbox. Recent internal direction highlights an effort to bring Windows and Xbox closer together to support devices such as the Xbox Ally handheld rather than relying exclusively on first-party Xbox hardware. The company is also navigating heightened pressures on the Xbox business, including major layoffs and operational hits to Xbox studios.
The leadership shuffle takes place against that operational backdrop and follows Bond’s rise within the organization: she joined in 2017 as a corporate vice president focused on gaming partnerships and business development and was promoted to president of Xbox in 2023. Spencer previously assigned her oversight of teams that manage devices, player and creator experiences, strategy, and business planning.
Analysis and forward look
These moves shift responsibility for core strategic areas at a time when the business is recalibrating product and device strategies. If pressures on the Xbox business remain elevated, the new executive configuration may prioritize tighter integration between Windows and Xbox devices and sharper focus on content and creator experiences under the new chiefs. The appointments also place content leadership and device strategy under distinct executives, a structure that could speed decisions on studio investments and hardware partnerships.
Unclear at this time are full transition timelines and whether additional organizational changes will follow. The company’s public statements frame Bond’s departure as the start of a new chapter for her, while the executive promotions set immediate reporting lines for gaming, devices, and content moving forward.
Key elements to watch next include how the new leadership addresses studio health and layoffs, the pace of Windows–Xbox integration for handheld and non-first-party devices, and any public roadmaps or filings that clarify strategic priorities under the incoming EVP and content chief.
