Microsoft Appoints Asha Sharma to Lead Gaming Division, Matt Booty Elevated to Chief Content Officer

New Delhi: Microsoft has announced a major leadership change in its gaming division as Xbox celebrates its 25th anniversary. Asha Sharma has been appointed Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming, succeeding longtime leader Phil Spencer, who is retiring after nearly four decades at the company.

Sharma, who previously held senior roles at Instacart and Meta before joining Microsoft two years ago, brings deep experience in scaling consumer platforms and developer ecosystems. In her first message to the team, she emphasized three priorities:

- Great games – investing in studios, franchises, and bold new ideas.

- The return of Xbox – recommitting to console players and developers while expanding across PC, mobile, and cloud.

- The future of play – building new business models and tools while ensuring games remain human‑crafted art, not just AI‑generated content.

Matt Booty, a veteran of Microsoft Gaming, has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer, overseeing nearly 40 studios including Xbox, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard, and King.

Outgoing CEO Phil Spencer reflected on his 38‑year career, calling Xbox “more than a business” and praising the community of players and creators. He will remain in an advisory role through the summer to support a smooth transition.

Sharma’s appointment signals Microsoft’s intent to push forward in gaming innovation, balancing console heritage with new opportunities in cloud, mobile, and AI. With over 500 million monthly active users, Microsoft Gaming is positioned to expand its influence in the next era of interactive entertainment.

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