Xbox shakes things up: Phil Spencer announces his retirement, with other senior executives taking different paths inside and outside Microsoft

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, has announced his retirement after nearly 40 years with the company. The information comes from internal sources at IGN, who have commented that other senior executives within the company’s gaming division will be undergoing changes in the near future. As of February 23, Phil Spencer will be leaving the company, while Sarah Bond, President of Xbox, who was apparently set to take over from Spencer, has resigned.

The news of Spencer’s departure comes in an email from Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, sent to company employees: “I want to thank Phil for his extraordinary leadership and partnership. Over 38 years at Microsoft, including 12 years leading Gaming, Phil helped transform what we do and how we do it.”

For his part, Spencer mentioned in this email that he had been planning to retire for some time, and that it was something he had discussed with Nadella. “Last fall, I shared with Satya that I was thinking about stepping back and starting the next chapter of my life. From that moment, we aligned on approaching this transition with intention, ensuring stability, and strengthening the foundation we’ve built.”

How does Phil Spencer’s departure change the landscape for Microsoft Gaming?

Microsoft Gaming will undergo a major change following the departure of Spencer and Bond. Asha Sharma, currently head of product at Microsoft CoreAI, will take on the role of President of Microsoft. Matt Booty will step down as head of Xbox Game Studios to take on the role of Chief Content Officer and work alongside Sharma.

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