In a surprise twist to Phil Spencer leaving Microsoft after becoming one of the faces of Xbox, it was also announced that Xbox President Sarah Bond is out, representing a major shakeup in management to one of the most popular gaming brands on the planet. Speculation has been rampant since Microsoft announced the changes, and in a post on LinkedIn, Bond added a bit more context to her decision to join Spencer in departing for different pastures. She also gave an update on the status of Microsoft’s next-generation Xbox console.
Curiously, Microsoft’s blog post announcing the changes included messages from Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft) Spencer (former Executive Vice President of Gaming), Asha Sharma (Spencer’s replacement and the new CEO of Microsoft Gaming, who will report directly to Nadella), and Matt Booty (Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, who will report to Sharma), but not Bond.
Instead of a direct message, Spencer said “Bond has decided to leave Microsoft to begin a new chapter” just like himself, and praised her for having been “instrumental during a defining period of Xbox.”
Now we get a bit more insight into the matter. In her own words, Bond says she felt that now is the right for to embark on what’s next, both personally and professionally.
Phil Spencer, Sarah Bond, and Matt Booty with host Tina Amini on the Official Xbox Podcast
“We’re living through a transformative technological era that will shape the next generation of our industry, and I’m energized by what’s ahead. This moment also presents a unique opportunity for fresh eyes and new leadership to guide the team into its next chapter,” Bond says.
She also says that when Microsoft announced its intention of acquiring Activision Blizzard in 2022 (which was finalized in 2023 after facing numerous regulatory hurdles), she committed to leading Xbox through a “critical period of change.
“Over the past four years, we’ve navigated that moment together and positioned the business for what comes next. We took on some of the biggest challenges this organization has ever faced and did it as one team,” Bond adds.
Her comments are in line with Microsoft’s broader messaging, which is that Spencer and Bond made their respective decisions to leave the company on their own, rather than being essentially forced out. Of course, there is some chatter that there is more to the story, and perhaps there is, but at least officially, Spencer and Bond have not said anything to indicate forced resignations.
In the same LinkedIn post, Bond also confirmed that development of Microsoft’s “next console is well underway.” Given the current climate with skyrocketing memory and storage costs, and PlayStation dominating Xbox in hardware sales, it was fair to wonder if a next-gen Xbox would still be in the cards. This is especially true with Microsoft’s ‘This is an Xbox’ campaign to highlight cloud game streaming. However, Bond’s comments should give gamers reassurance that dedicated Xbox hardware will stick around for at least one more round, with recent rumors suggesting it could double as a full Windows 11 PC.
