Microsoft Revamps Xbox with Major Platform Updates

Microsoft’s new Xbox leader, Asha Sharma, has been making significant changes within the Xbox organization over the past few months. After prioritizing highly requested features for the Xbox console, lowering Game Pass prices, and shifting Microsoft Gaming back to Xbox, Sharma is now reorganizing the Xbox platform team.

This restructuring will involve some familiar faces leaving, along with promotions and the addition of new talent with strong technical backgrounds to bolster the Xbox platform team. Jared Palmer, who previously collaborated with Sharma in Microsoft’s CoreAI division, is stepping in as VP of engineering and will serve as a technical advisor. In a memo to Xbox staff, Sharma noted that Palmer will tackle “our most complex product and engineering challenges, focusing on developer tools, taste, and infrastructure.”

Tim Allen, who held the position of VP of design at Microsoft CoreAI and was GitHub’s senior VP of design and research, is also joining Xbox to lead design efforts. Sharma highlighted that this marks the first time product design, design engineering, research, and creative teams are unified with a focus on fans.

Jonathan McKay, the former head of growth at Microsoft’s CoreAI division, will now lead Xbox’s growth, data platform, and analytics. Additionally, Evan Chaki, a former general manager in CoreAI, is joining a new team at Xbox to spearhead an engineering group aimed at streamlining development and reducing repetitive tasks.

The influx of talent from Microsoft’s CoreAI team suggests that Sharma is enhancing the Xbox organization with more technical expertise, particularly in areas like growth and data. While some Xbox fans may be wary of the AI influence, the recent appointments do not indicate a strong AI initiative for Xbox.

In fact, just last week, Sharma shared on X that Xbox is “refocusing our AI efforts to solving player problems like enhancing real-time graphics, improving discovery, and deepening personalization.” This indicates a shift towards enhancing the core Xbox software platform.

These leadership changes primarily impact the platform teams that were under former Xbox president Sarah Bond, who was announced to be leaving in February. Bond is currently serving as a “special advisor” to Sharma to assist with the transition. Many anticipated Bond would take over as Xbox chief, but Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella opted for a fresh perspective in leadership.

As part of this overhaul, Roanne Sones, corporate vice president of Xbox devices and ecosystem, will be taking a leave of absence after this summer while remaining an advisor. Sones previously reported to Bond and played a key role in launching the Xbox Ally devices.

Kevin Gammill, corporate vice president of Xbox user experience, is also stepping down after nearly two decades at Microsoft. Sharma expressed gratitude for his leadership and contributions to Xbox during his tenure.

Jason Ronald, vice president of next-gen, is receiving a promotion as part of these changes, although his new title remains unclear. Jason Beaumont will take on the role of leading the product and serve as interim head of engineering.

“This is an important time for Xbox,” Sharma stated. “Our goal with this change is simple: build a platform that is affordable, personal, and open by staying close to the work and the people we serve. We will continue to add the capabilities needed to get there.”