'Return of Xbox', No 'AI Slop' and Console Focus: Who Is Asha Sharma, Microsoft Gaming's New CEO?

Microsoft announced a massive Xbox leadership shake-up on Friday, naming a new CEO for its Gaming division and promising the “return of Xbox.” Xbox chief Phil Spencer, loved and admired by Xbox fans and the larger gaming community in general, has retired effective immediately after 38 years at the company. Spencer, who had been heading Xbox since 2014, has been replaced by Asha Sharma, an Indian-origin AI executive from Wisconsin, US, with no prior experience in gaming.

The other big change at Microsoft Gaming is the departure of Xbox president Sarah Bond. Spencer said Bond decided to leave the company to “begin a new chapter”. Xbox Game Studios head Matt Booty, on the other hand, has been promoted to executive vice president and chief content officer at Microsoft Gaming. He will report to Sharma, the new Xbox EVP and CEO.

Who is Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma?

So, who is the new Xbox boss, Asha Sharma? Her current stint at Microsoft began just over two years ago as president, AI Product. According to the AI executive's LinkedIn profile, she “led the product portfolio for AI models, apps, agents, responsible AI, and developer tools for customers worldwide.” Before her role as president for AI Product, Sharma was CVP, head of product for Microsoft's AI Platform.

In a Microsoft Blog announcement, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said Sharma has “helped build and scale services that reach billions of people and support thriving consumer and developer ecosystems.”

“She brings deep experience building and growing platforms, aligning business models to long-term value, and operating at global scale, which will be critical in leading our gaming business into its next era of growth,” Nadella added.

Xbox's new leadership, CEO Asha Sharma and CCO Matt Booty
Photo Credit: Microsoft

In addition to her role at Microsoft, Sharma is also a serving board member at The Home Depot. Her previous roles include serving as board member at Coupang, a South Korean e-commerce company. Before that, Sharma served as COO at Instacart from 2021 to 2024, where she helped lead the company's IPO.

Sharma's work experience also includes her four-year stint at Meta as vice president of Product & Engineering. According to her LinkedIn, she served as head of product across Messenger and Instagram Direct messaging platforms, and GM of calling, video, and kids experiences. Before that she was director of Social Impact Products at Meta.

The new Xbox chief also served as COO of Porch Group, a vertical software and insurance platform for homebuyers. According to Sharma, she helped start and build the company, led product, engineering, sales, marketing, and operations. She was previously CMO at the company and also served as a board member from 2015 to 2022.

This is Sharma's second stint at Microsoft. Her professional career began at the company's Marketing division in 2011. Her LinkedIn account lists UMN Carlson School of Management as her alma mater, where she studied Bachelor of Science in Business.

Sharma also shared her public Xbox gamertag on X in response to queries from the Xbox community. Her gamertag on the platform is “AMRAHSAHSA” — her full name in reverse. Notably, former Xbox boss Phil Spencer was a gamer himself and was often seen online on Xbox playing games new and old.

We dug into Sharma's Xbox profile. “AMRAHSAHSA” has recently played Forza Horizon 5, Halo Infinite, Ball x Pit, Minecraft, among other titles. On X, she said her three favourite games were Halo, Valheim, 007 — likely referring to Rare's GoldenEye 007, the classic Nintendo 64 title.

Asha Sharma's Xbox profile shows she's been playing Forza Horizon 5

What's Next for Xbox?

In her message to Xbox fans, Sharma said she was “honored” to be named CEO of Microsoft Gaming and laid down three commitments for Xbox going forward.

Firstly, the focus is on great games. “We must have great games beloved by players before we do anything,” Sharma said in her message on Microsoft Blog. Sharma said Xbox would work to empower its 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,” she added.

The second commitment mentions the “return of Xbox” — Sharma's use of the phrase suggests she acknowledges that Xbox has lost its way and needs a comeback. The new Xbox boss said the company will “recommit” to its core Xbox fans and players. Sharma promised a renewed commitment to Xbox, starting with the company's console business.

This, perhaps, is the most interesting message from Sharma, one that seems to have been received with cautious optimism from Xbox fans. The past couple of years have seen Xbox essentially turn into a third-party publisher, bringing its games to rival platforms. Several first-party Xbox exclusives have been released on PS5 and Nintendo Switch platforms as Microsoft has pivoted to a multi-platform strategy, much to the dismay of dedicated Xbox fans. Several more Xbox first-party games, including Halo: Campaign Evolved, Forza Horizon 6, and Fable, are set to launch on PS5 this year.

Sharma's message suggests Microsoft may be rethinking that strategy. While it's unlikely that the Xbox parent will fully reverse course on releasing games on other platforms, we could see Xbox consoles become more of a priority, starting with the next-gen Xbox console.

The Xbox boss engaged several Xbox fans via her X account over the weekend, replying to several questions. One fan said he hoped the new Xbox CEO understood the importance of exclusive games like Halo, Forza, Gears, and Fable. “Xbox games must be only on Xbox,” he said, to which Sharma replied, “hear you.”

The focus, however, remains on multiple platforms, Cloud, and Game Pass. “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,” Sharma said.

Finally, Sharma's third commitment referred to the “future of play.” The former AI executive sought to dispel fears around aggressive implementation of generative AI in gaming at Xbox. Sharma said Xbox would not “milk and monetise” its legacy IPs and promised the company would stay away from “AI slop.”

“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,” she said, promising a “return to the renegade spirit that built Xbox in the first place.”