(WNDU) – Asha Sharma became Microsoft Gaming CEO at Microsoft on Feb. 20, 2026, as the company moves past Phil Spencer’s retirement.
Microsoft says Sharma will serve as executive vice president and CEO of Microsoft Gaming and will report to Microsoft Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella.
The company framed the change as part of a succession plan following Spencer’s retirement decision.
In a post on The Official Microsoft Blog that shared internal communications to employees, Nadella said Microsoft’s gaming business now reaches more than 500 million monthly active users and that Microsoft is a top publisher across platforms.
Nadella also pointed to the 25th anniversary of Xbox as the company looks ahead to what it called an expansive opportunity for innovation across gaming hardware, content and community.
Nadella described Sharma as a consumer and platform leader with experience scaling services at global scale, noting she spent the last two years at Microsoft and previously served as chief operating officer at Instacart and as a vice president at Meta.
Microsoft positioned that background as a fit for what it called the next era of growth for its gaming business.
The company also announced a change in its content leadership. Matt Booty will become executive vice president and chief content officer and will report to Sharma, Microsoft said.
Nadella said Booty’s organization has grown to span nearly 40 studios across Xbox, Bethesda, Activision Blizzard and King, tied to franchises including “Halo,” “The Elder Scrolls,” “Call of Duty,” “World of Warcraft,” “Diablo,” “Candy Crush” and “Fallout.”
Spencer will remain involved during the transition, Microsoft said. Nadella wrote that Spencer would continue working closely with Sharma to ensure a smooth handoff.
Spencer, in his own message included in the post, said he will remain in an advisory role through the summer.
Microsoft’s post also noted another senior departure. Sarah Bond has decided to leave Microsoft “to begin a new chapter,” Spencer said in his message.
Sharma, in her own message shared alongside Nadella’s and Spencer’s, told employees she was beginning the job with “humility and urgency,” and said her first responsibility was to understand what makes the organization work and protect it.
She laid out three priorities: making “great games,” a renewed focus on Xbox’s core fans, and building toward what she called the “future of play.”
Microsoft did not provide additional details in the blog post about timing beyond Feb. 20 or about any further organizational changes.
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