Report: ‘Microsoft Gaming’ is Out As Xbox Redefines its Identity

Asha Sharma promised a “return to Xbox” after replacing Phil Spencer as CEO of Microsoft Gaming, and the exec is already making some big moves to restore the prestige of a brand that will celebrate its 25th anniversary later this year. According to a new report from The Verge’s Tom Warren, Sharma is getting rid of the ‘Microsoft Gaming’ brand that made its debut when Phil Spencer was promoted as CEO of Microsoft Gaming in 2022, which was when the company announced its acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

“Xbox needs to be our identity,” Sharma said today during an employee all-hands meeting, adding that ‘Microsoft Gaming’ was a departure from a well-known brand. On LinkedIn, Sharma also now identifies herself as “CEO Xbox,” making it clear that Xbox is the name of Microsoft’s gaming division.

Tom Warren also reports that Microsoft has plastered different messages, including “return of Xbox”, “great games,” and “future of play” on the walls of its Xbox offices this week. Josh Stein, Senior Social Media Manager at Xbox, also posted yesterday a picture of a slightly redesigned Xbox logo on an office elevator.

Straight up. No stops. 💚 pic.twitter.com/hTGpUwFyB3

— Stein (@steinekin) April 22, 2026

It’s certainly good to see Microsoft give some love to the Xbox brand, which used to enjoy so much recognition before the Xbox One kicked off a sad downward spiral. Still, Xbox definitely remains Microsoft’s most popular consumer brand, and it’s safe to say that it still generates a much more positive sentiment than “Microsoft Gaming” ever did.

Overall, Sharma already seems to be doing a lot of good things to restore trust in the Xbox organization. There’s now a team dedicated to shipping new console features inspired by user feedback, and Sharma also acknowledged that Game Pass had become too expensive following the addition of new Call of Duty games on day one. That’s why the company just dropped the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $29.99 to $22.99/month, though future Call of Duty titles will now join Game Pass about a year after launch. Yesterday, Sharma also teased a new Discord perk for Game Pass members, and more details should be revealed soon.

Last but not least, the Xbox team will bring back Xbox FanFest events in a pretty major way this summer: In addition to the Los Angeles FanFest after the Xbox Games Showcase on June 7, Microsoft already announced 7 additional FanFest events in Cologne, London, Mexico City, Seattle, Sydney, Tokyo, and Toronto.