Umbruch bei Microsoft: Phil Spencer und Sarah Bond haben ihre Posten geräumt

Im Verlauf des gestrigen Abends hat Microsoft einen recht gewaltigen Umbruch innerhalb seiner Betriebsleitung bekanntgegeben. Dieser Ankündigung zufolge haben sowohl Phil Spencer (CEO of Microsoft Gaming) als auch Sarah Bond (President of Xbox) ihre bisherigen Posten geräumt und Spencer soll wohl nur noch bis zum Sommer 2026 als Berater für die Firma fungieren. Der Wegfall von Spencer zieht dabei besonders viel Aufmerksamkeit auf sich, weil er in seinen Jahrzehnten bei Xbox und Microsoft immer als ein „richtiger Gamer“ zwischen den üblichen Zahlendrehern galt. In dieser Rolle baute er sich einen durchaus positiven Ruf auf, dessen Wegfall dem Unternehmen nur schaden kann.

Als Ersatz für diese zwei wegfallenden Personen sollen Asha Sharma und Matt Booty fungieren. Booty war bisher als Head of Xbox Game Studios tätig und sollte daher keine Probleme damit haben, in der Zukunft als Chef von Xbox zu fungieren. Bei Sharma sieht die Sache aber schon etwas anders aus. Diese Dame erlangte ihren Posten bei Microsoft in 2024 und seit diesem Zeitpunkt war sie als CoreAI President angestellt. Ihre Aufgabe war es also die AI-Projekte der Firma voranzutreiben. Sie jetzt als CEO of Microsoft Gaming zu sehen, wird von einigen Fans daher eher negativ aufgenommen.

Den genauen Grund für diesen Umbruch werden wir wohl nie erfahren. Phil Spencer gibt es seiner Meldung an die Mitarbeiter an, dass sein Austritt schon seit dem Herbst 2025 geplant war und es seine Entscheidung war. Trotzdem vermuten Spieler bereits einige versteckte Machenschaften im Hintergrund und einen von Microsoft angestrebten Wechsel zu mehr AI-Elementen in ihren Spielen. Spencer mit Sharma zu ersetzen, könnte tatsächlich auf so eine Absicht hindeuten. Der persönlichen Meldung von Asha Sharma zufolge möchte sie zwar auf AI-Slop und kurzsichtige Pläne verzichten, aber AI mit Gaming zu verbinden steht zusammen mit der „Rückkehr von Xbox“ trotzdem weit oben auf ihre Liste an Prioritäten.

Die Zukunft muss zeigen, was für Auswirkungen dieser Wechsel hat. Ich für meinen Teil stufe das Ganze aber erst einmal als eine negative Entwicklung ein. Schließlich gab sich Phil Spencer zumindest öffentlich als eine Person, die die Wünsche der Kunden versteht und Dinge wie Backwards Compatibility, bezahlbare Produkte und die Rückkehr von alten IPs unterstützt.

Die Mitteilung von Phil Spencer:

When I walked through Microsoft’s doors as an intern in June of 1988, I could never have imagined the products I’d help build, the players and customers we’d serve, or the extraordinary teams I’d be lucky enough to join. It’s been an epic ride and truly the privilege of a lifetime.

Last fall, I shared with Satya that I was thinking about stepping back and starting the next chapter of my life. From that moment, we aligned on approaching this transition with intention, ensuring stability, and strengthening the foundation we’ve built. Xbox has always been more than a business. It’s a vibrant community of players, creators, and teams who care deeply about what we build and how we build it. And it deserves a thoughtful, deliberate plan for the road ahead.

Today marks an exciting new chapter for Microsoft Gaming as Asha Sharma steps into the role of CEO, and I want to be the first to welcome her to this incredible team. Working with her over the past several months has given me tremendous confidence. She brings genuine curiosity, clarity and a deep commitment to understanding players, creators, and the decisions that shape our future. We know this is an important moment for our fans, partners, and team, and we’re committed to getting it right. I’ll remain in an advisory role through the summer to support a smooth handoff.

I’m also grateful for the strength of our studios organization. Matt Booty and our studios teams continue to build an incredible portfolio, and I have full confidence in the leadership and creative momentum across our global studios. I want to congratulate Matt on his promotion to EVP and Chief Content Officer.

As part of this transition, Sarah Bond has decided to leave Microsoft to begin a new chapter. Sarah has been instrumental during a defining period for Xbox, shaping our platform strategy, expanding Game Pass and cloud gaming, supporting new hardware launches, and guiding some of the most significant moments in our history. I’m grateful for her partnership and the impact she’s had, and I wish her the very best in what comes next.

Most of all, to everyone in Microsoft Gaming, I want to say “thank you”. I’ve learned so much from this team and community, grown alongside you, and been continually inspired by the creativity, courage, and care you bring to players, creators, and to one another every day.

I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the last 25 years, and I have complete confidence in all of you and in the opportunities ahead. I’ll be cheering you on in this next chapter as Xbox’s proudest fan and player.

Phil

XBL: P3

Die Mitteilung von Asha Sharma:

Dear team,

Today I begin my role as CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

I feel two things at once: humility and urgency.

Humility because this team has built something extraordinary over decades. Urgency because gaming is in a period of rapid change, and we need to move with clarity and conviction.

I am stepping into work shaped by generations of artists, engineers, designers, writers, musicians, operators and more who create worlds that have brought joy and deep personal meaning to hundreds of millions of players. The level of craft here is exceptional, and it is amplified by Xbox, which was founded in the belief that the power of games connect people and push the industry forward.

Thank you to Phil for his leadership, and to every studio, platform, and operations team that built this foundation. We are stewards of some of the most loved stories and characters in entertainment and bring players and creators together around the fun and community of gaming in entirely new ways.

My first job is simple: understand what makes this work and protect it.

That starts with three commitments.

First, great games.

Everything begins here. We must have great games beloved by players before we do anything. Unforgettable characters, stories that make us feel, innovative game play, and creative excellence. We will empower our studios, invest in iconic franchises, and back bold new ideas. We will take risks. We will enter new categories and markets where we can add real value, grounded in what players care about most.

I promoted Matt Booty in honor of this commitment. He understands the craft and the challenges of building great games, has led teams that deliver award-winning work, and has earned the trust of game developers across the industry.

Second, the return of Xbox.

We will recommit to our core Xbox fans and players, those who have invested with us for the past 25 years, and to the developers who build the expansive universes and experiences that are embraced by players across the world.

We will celebrate our roots with a renewed commitment to Xbox starting with console which has shaped who we are. It connects us to the players and fans who invest in Xbox, and to the developers who build ambitious experiences for it.

Gaming now lives across devices, not within the limits of any single piece of hardware. As we expand across PC, mobile, and cloud, Xbox should feel seamless, instant, and worthy of the communities we serve. We will break down barriers so developers can build once and reach players everywhere without compromise.

Third, future of play.

We are witnessing the reinvention of play.

To meet the moment, we will invent new business models and new ways to play by leaning into what we already have: iconic teams, characters, and worlds that people love. But we will not treat those worlds as static IP to milk and monetize. We will build a shared platform and tools that empower developers and players to create and share their own stories.

As monetization and AI evolve and influence this future, we will not chase short-term efficiency or flood our ecosystem with soulless AI slop. Games are and always will be art, crafted by humans, and created with the most innovative technology provided by us.

The next 25 years belong to the teams who dare to build something surprising, something no one else is willing to try, and have the patience to see it through. We have done this before, and I am here to help us do it again. I want to return to the renegade spirit that built Xbox in the first place. It will require us to relentlessly question everything, revisit processes, protect what works, and be brave enough to change what does not.

Thank you for welcoming me into this journey.

Asha

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