xbox

Xbox leadership shakeup prompts branding, pricing and hardware shifts

Microsoft's Xbox division saw major leadership changes in February, with Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond exiting and Asha Sharma and Matt Booty stepping in. The new team quickly ended the "This is an Xbox" ad campaign and cut Xbox Game Pass prices after a prior 50% hike. They confirmed new high-end hardware (Project Helix), rebranded the organization as XBOX, and ran a June 7 showcase with translucent Series X giveaways.

• Leadership change: Spencer and Bond out; Asha Sharma CEO, Matt Booty CCO
• Scrapped the "This is an Xbox" advertising campaign
• Reduced Game Pass prices following a 50% hike and subscriber losses
• Confirmed Project Helix hardware, rebranded to XBOX, held June 7 showcase with console giveaways