“Xbox Remains Off the Market, CEO Confirms Amid Layoffs and Challenges”

In a challenging year for the Xbox division, marked by significant layoffs and a restructuring of Xbox Game Studios, the new CEO of Microsoft’s gaming group is clear on one point: Xbox is not up for sale, despite ongoing rumors. The company has streamlined its operations this year, parting ways with four studios and scrapping various projects.

In a recent profile, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma addressed the narrative surrounding Microsoft’s “reset,” which has led to numerous job cuts and shifts among its owned publishers. She emphasized that this does not signal a retreat from the gaming sector. “We’ve got a long way to go with Microsoft,” Sharma stated, “and we’re going to take the long-term view.”

Taking over from former Xbox head Phil Spencer in February, Sharma has initiated significant changes. “I think the industry will require disruption,” she remarked, signaling a shift in direction from the previous leadership. Under her guidance, the Xbox team has reduced Game Pass prices in response to declining subscriber numbers and has eliminated the day-one availability of new Call of Duty titles. There are whispers of more radical changes coming to Xbox Game Pass, along with new time limits on cloud gaming for subscribers.

In light of speculation about a potential spin-off or sale of the Xbox brand, Sharma firmly stated, “Xbox is not for sale. We will do whatever it takes to set the company up for success, and we will look at the right partnerships, the right operating model, and everything needed to achieve that.”

Recently, Xbox announced a new partnership with Kojima Productions to publish the upcoming Metal Gear Solid spiritual successor, Physint. According to the profile, this deal—struck after Sony dropped the project—was significantly less than what Xbox would typically invest in a premium game and includes rights for TV and film adaptations of the Physint IP.

While Sharma and her team seem to have some time to establish the right operational strategy for Xbox, the company still faces hundreds of additional layoffs and the upcoming launch of Project Helix, the next-generation Xbox. The current plan for the Xbox group is subject to change at any moment, as the landscape continues to evolve.