Microsoft Gaming Rebrands to Xbox, Debuts New Logo as Xbox Chief Says Company Reevaluating Exclusive Games

Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma has laid out a new strategy for Xbox going forward, and that begins with scrapping ‘Microsoft Gaming' and returning to the ‘Xbox' branding. In a townhall meeting with Xbox staff Thursday, Sharma detailed platform priorities across hardware, content, experience, and services. The Xbox boss also said the company would reevaluate its approach to exclusivity.

Xbox also debuted a new logo, switching to a glowing, glassy green coloured design in place of the black-and-white logo in use since 2019. The changes come as part of Sharma's promise of “return of Xbox” when she took over as Xbox chief in February.

Under the new leadership, Xbox has implemented several changes and is considering larger strategic shifts that would pivot away from the course set under former Xbox boss Phil Spencer and ex-president Sarah Bond. “The model that got us here won't be the one that takes us forward,” Sharma said in a detailed message to Xbox staff.

Xbox Reevaluating Exclusive Games

The key takeaway from Sharma's message is that Microsoft is reassessing console exclusivity. Recent reports have claimed that the new Xbox leadership has been taking community feedback into consideration — one of which is the return of Xbox exclusive titles. Under Spencer and Bond, Xbox began releasing its first-party games on rival platforms like PS5 and Nintendo Switch. Since 2024, several Xbox titles have crossed over to PS5 — Bethesda's Starfield was the most recent one, releasing on PS5 on April 7. That could now change.

“Along the way, we will reevaluate our approach to exclusivity, windowing, and AI, and share more as we learn and decide,” Sharma said as she laid out Xbox's priorities. The Xbox boss also announced that the company was scrapping the Microsoft Gaming branding and returning to Xbox.

“Our best work happens when the full stack moves together. ‘Microsoft Gaming' describes our structure but it does not describe our ambition. So, we are going back to where we started and changing our team's name. We are Xbox,” the Xbox boss said.

Road Ahead for Xbox

Sharma acknowledged Xbox had a tough road ahead on both PC and console and vowed to make the platform more “affordable, personal, and open.”

“New feature drops on console have been less frequent. Our presence on PC isn't strong enough. Pricing is getting harder for people to keep up with. And core experiences like search, discovery, social, and personalization still feel too fragmented,” she said.

Sharma said console would be at the foundation of Xbox's new era, with flexible pricing options for players. This week, the Xbox chief announced a price cut for Game Pass and promised to make the subscription service “more flexible” for users.

Xbox chief Asha Sharma held a townhall meeting with staff on Thursday
Photo Credit: Microsoft

Xbox's Four Priorities

Sharma laid down four priorities for Xbox, with daily active players as the new “north star” for the platform.

Firstly, on the hardware front, Sharma vowed to stabilise Xbox Series S/X consoles as a healthy base, before delivering Project Helix, the next-gen Xbox, which would lead in performance and play both console and PC games, she said.

On the Content side, Xbox plans to grow its most popular franchises and strengthen its five-years slate with third-party partnerships. The company also intends to expand into China and other emerging markets, and grow its live service footprint.

Xbox also aims to improve the platform experience by fixing fundamentals and overhauling discovery, customization, social, and personalization, Sharma said.

Finally, on Xbox services, Sharma said the company plans to fortify Game Pass and move forward with clear differentiation and sustainable economics. This suggests that further changes to Game Pass are on their way. Sharma also vowed to make Xbox cloud feel “native, fast, and reliable” across TVs and low-cost devices. She also said that the company would leverage mergers and acquisitions to accelerate growth where necessary.

This has been a busy week for Sharma. The Xbox chief announced a price cut for Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass, admitting the service had become “too expensive for too many players.” Sharma has also promised to make the subscription service “more flexible” for players going forward. On Wednesday, Sharma teased a partnership with messaging platform Discord that would help Game Pass become more flexible.