Outgoing Xbox President Sarah Bond Issues Statement Following Departure News

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So, things are changing up at Xbox! I just read that Sarah Bond, the former President and COO, said goodbye to everyone as she and Phil Spencer are both moving on. It’s a pretty big shake-up – the first major change in leadership for a while. Asha Sharma is taking over as CEO of Microsoft Gaming and will also be an Executive VP, while Matt Booty is becoming the new Chief Content Officer for Xbox. But honestly, Sarah’s message was super positive. She seems really confident about the future of Xbox and is fully supporting Asha and Matt as they take the reins. It sounds like they’re all excited about what’s next, and that’s awesome to hear as a gamer!

Sarah Bond began her career at Microsoft in 2017, initially focusing on gaming partnerships. She quickly rose through the company, becoming President of Xbox in 2023 and working closely with then-CEO Phil Spencer. During her time leading Xbox, the company underwent significant changes, particularly with Xbox Game Pass, a move away from making games exclusive to Xbox consoles, and the major acquisition of Activision-Blizzard in 2022. Bond played a key role in navigating the complexities following the Activision-Blizzard deal and overcoming related hurdles. Now, as she prepares to leave Microsoft and Xbox, Bond has shared her thoughts on the accomplishments of her team and expressed optimism for the future under the leadership of Asha Sharma and the new direction for Microsoft Gaming.

Former Xbox President Sarah Bond Shares Parting Message with Colleagues and Fans

Sarah Bond recently shared a message with her team and on LinkedIn expressing her pride in the Xbox team’s accomplishments over the past eight years. She highlighted the significant growth of PC and cloud gaming, the development of the next Xbox console, and the creation of a platform designed to be more open to different types of gaming. Bond reflected on her role in guiding Xbox through a period of major change and believes the gaming industry is now entering a time of rapid technological advancement. Because of this, she feels it’s the right time for fresh perspectives and new leadership to take Xbox and Microsoft Gaming forward. She expressed gratitude to Phil Spencer and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for their support and wished Asha Sharma well in her new role.

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Sarah Bond announced she’ll be helping Asha Sharma adjust to her new role as a Special Advisor, though it’s unclear if this is an official position or simply a support role offering guidance. Bond closed her message by sharing the three key questions she used as President of Microsoft Gaming – questions focused on achieving top performance, empowering others, and delivering excellent results. While the departures of Sarah Bond and Phil Spencer initially caused concern about the future of Xbox, Bond’s statement and comments from Matt Booty have reassured employees and fans, demonstrating strong support for the changes happening at Microsoft Gaming and Xbox.

Image via Xbox

The recent departures of Sarah Bond and Phil Spencer from Xbox have caused quite a stir, but leadership changes are common in the gaming world. Nintendo, for example, saw Doug Bowser step down as president in December 2025, following Reggie Fils-Aime’s departure in 2019. It remains to be seen what changes new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma and the Xbox team will bring, so fans who are curious should keep an eye out for future announcements.

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2026-02-22 23:36