{
  "id": 11001286,
  "title": "Xbox CEO Asha Sharma insists \"Xbox is not for sale\"",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/xbox-ceo-asha-sharma-insists-xbox-is-not-for-sale",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-30T17:43:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "GamesIndustry",
    "slug": "gamesindustry",
    "url": "https://www.gamesindustry.biz/xbox-ceo-asha-sharma-insists-xbox-is-not-for-sale"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has denied recent reports suggesting Microsoft is considering selling off its Xbox games division. In an interview with the New York Times, Sharma stated unequivocally \"Xbox is not for sale.\" She emphasized the company's commitment to ensuring Xbox's success, exploring various partnerships, operating models, and other necessary measures. This denial comes amidst increasing speculation that Xbox might be spun off as a separate entity, while still maintaining a close relationship with Microsoft through a partnership rather than remaining on Microsoft's balance sheet.\n\nXbox currently contributes approximately 6% of Microsoft's total profits, a fact Sharma acknowledged. Sharma, who assumed her role at Xbox in February without any prior experience in the video game industry, previously held positions as president of Microsoft's CoreAI division and chief operating officer at Instacart. Her tenure at Xbox has been marked by significant changes, including the downsizing of the company by a fifth of its staff in a single summer, and the closure or sale of five studios. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has praised these moves, describing them as part of a strategy towards a sustainable business model for the division.\n\nThe restructuring efforts have persisted, with Microsoft transferring control of Rare and the Halo franchise to Activision, proposing the closure of Ninja Theory, and eliminating an additional 268 roles in recent weeks. Despite these changes, Game Pass, Xbox's subscription service, has yet to meet its targets. Initially, subscriber numbers peaked at 34 million, but they have since begun to decline. In response, Microsoft has opted to refrain from releasing new Call of Duty games directly onto the service, as it feared this move could adversely affect standalone sales.\n\nSharma remains optimistic about Xbox's future, highlighting that the platform currently boasts 500 million monthly players. She expressed a desire to expand Xbox's reach into new markets such as Africa, Latin America, and South Asia through cloud gaming services.",
  "summary": "Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has pushed back on speculation that Microsoft could spin off its games division, telling the New York Times : \"Xbox is not for sale.\" Read more",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Verge",
        "title": "‘Xbox is not for sale’ says Microsoft’s gaming chief",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/xbox-is-not-for-sale-says-microsofts-gaming-chief",
        "published": "2026-09-30T16:24:30.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}