Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says Microsoft’s gaming business is not for sale as the company continues a sweeping restructuring of the division.
The Verge reports that Sharma addressed the possibility directly in an interview with The New York Times, saying, “Xbox is not for sale.” She added that Microsoft will consider the partnerships, operating model, and other changes needed to put the business in a stronger position.
The denial follows earlier reports that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood had considered spinning Xbox out of the company. According to The Verge, those executives have more recently backed Sharma’s plan to overhaul the gaming unit. That means the current direction is a Microsoft-owned Xbox undergoing a major reset, rather than an announced sale or spinoff.
Microsoft is still reshaping Xbox
Sharma’s comments do not signal a return to business as usual. In an official July announcement, she described the changes as the most significant restructuring in Xbox history and said approximately 3,200 roles would be eliminated across Microsoft’s 2027 fiscal year. The plan also included reducing management layers, divesting some studios, and concentrating investment around larger franchises.
Microsoft continued that process in September. Xbox announced another 268 role eliminations and said Activision would take on a broader remit that includes Rare and World’s Edge, while a newly formed Activision team will develop the next Halo game. The company said those moves brought it roughly three-quarters of the way through the restructuring announced in July.
Nadella has publicly supported the effort, describing Sharma’s streamlining as a necessary part of finding a sustainable business model. As Game News Plus reported last week, Microsoft is targeting a return to growth for Xbox in fiscal 2027.
The Verge characterizes the present strategy as an attempt to restore growth while keeping Xbox inside Microsoft. Sharma’s statement is a clear denial of a current sale plan, but it should not be read as a permanent guarantee about every future corporate option. For now, the confirmed plan remains restructuring under Microsoft’s ownership.
Do you think Xbox’s current restructuring can return the business to sustainable growth?
Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts.