Talking Point You're The New Head Of Xbox, What Do You Do Now?
If you were in those shoes, what would be your first steps?
- Xbox
- Talking Point
- Features
News 'Return To Our Roots' - Xbox CEO Reiterates Her Goals For The Future
Asha Sharma has officially completed her first day in the role
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
News Three Games Are Available This Week With Xbox Game Pass (February 24-26)
Including an Xbox first-party release!
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Feature Seven Amazing Things Phil Spencer Did During His Reign As Head Of Xbox
Making an impact
- Xbox
- Features
- Phil Spencer
- Head Of Xbox
- Microsoft
News Xbox Boss Explains Her Gamertag Activity, Says 'Faking Would Be A Terrible Idea'
She didn't expect it to get so much attention
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
News Vampire Crawlers Gets Free Xbox Demo Ahead Of 2026 Game Pass Launch
Try out the Vampire Survivors sequel for free!
- Xbox
- Vampire Crawlers
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PC
Latest News
TodayTue, 24th Feb 2026
Talking Point You're The New Head Of Xbox, What Do You Do Now?
If you were in those shoes, what would be your first steps?
Much has been said already about the retiring Phil Spencer and new Xbox boss Asha Sharma, and regardless of whatever viewpoint you might have about it, one thing's for sure — a job like this isn't easy for anyone to step into. Head of Xbox (otherwise known as "Microsoft Gaming CEO")...
- Xbox
- Talking Point
- Features
News Vampire Crawlers Gets Free Xbox Demo Ahead Of 2026 Game Pass Launch
Try out the Vampire Survivors sequel for free!
Vampire Survivors took the world by storm when it first dropped on Xbox a few years ago, and in 2026 the team is delivering a follow up in the form of Vampire Crawlers, which just got a free demo on Xbox! Yep, the Vampire Crawlers demo for Xbox Series X|S and PC is now live on the Microsoft Store - and...
- Xbox
- Vampire Crawlers
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PC
Feature Seven Amazing Things Phil Spencer Did During His Reign As Head Of Xbox
Making an impact
This week marks a seismic shift over at Xbox HQ. Phil Spencer, the brand's long-time leader, is retiring - bringing an end to his decade-plus reign as Xbox boss. In the aftermath of Phil making this announcement, we've seen plenty of negativity surrounding the news (this is the internet, after all). However, Phil achieved some...
- Xbox
- Features
- Phil Spencer
- Head Of Xbox
- Microsoft
News Cuphead-Style Xbox Shooter Mouse: P.I. For Hire Sees Last-Minute Delay
"We want to ensure we are taking the extra time..."
Ever since it was first announced all the way back in 2023, we've taken a particular interest in MOUSE: P.I. For Hire; the noir-inspired first-person shooter from developer Fumi Games. Late last year, we thought we finally had our locked-in release date for March 2026 - but now, the team ha
- Xbox
- Cuphead
- Mouse: P.I. For Hire
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News 'Return To Our Roots' - Xbox CEO Reiterates Her Goals For The Future
Asha Sharma has officially completed her first day in the role
This past Monday marked Asha Sharma's first day in the job as Microsoft Gaming CEO and overall Xbox boss, and she used the opportunity to reiterate her "goal" and "focus" points for the future. She mentioned this as part of the response to IGN's Ryan McCaffrey about her gamertag...
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
News Ubisoft Unveils New Leadership Team For Assassin's Creed's 'Ambitious New Chapter'
Creatives who will forge its future
Ubisoft is starting to talk a little bit more about what's next for the Assassin's Creed franchise today, unveiling a new leadership team that will guide the IP into its "ambitious new chapter". The head of the overall brand will be Martin Schelling, Head of Content will be Jean Guesdon, and François De Billy...
- Xbox
- Assassins Creed
- Ubisoft
Deals Dead Island 2 + All DLC Is Less Than $7 On Xbox Right Now
A crazy deal for Dead Island 2 Ultimate Edition!
Publisher Deep Silver is hosting some big offers on Xbox right now — with a particular focus on game bundles — and we've spotted that Dead Island 2 in particular has an absolutely massive discount on the Microsoft Store. We're not talking about just the base game here (which is still on Xbox Game...
- Xbox
- Dead Island 2
- Ultimate Edition
- Deals
- Xbox Series X
News Xbox Boss Explains Her Gamertag Activity, Says 'Faking Would Be A Terrible Idea'
She didn't expect it to get so much attention
Over the weekend, new Xbox boss Asha Sharma received a ton of attention after sharing her Xbox gamertag on social media, and there was some skepticism about how much gamerscore she'd managed to rack up so quickly. We highlighted this in a post on Pure Xbox yesterday — she'd been getting full...
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
YesterdayMon, 23rd Feb 2026
News Xbox CEO Shares Her Three Favourite Games Of All Time, Along With Her Gamertag
It's a good list, and she's a Chrono Trigger fan too!
We all know that ex-Xbox boss Phil Spencer is a massive gamer, but new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma doesn't come from a gaming background in terms of her career. That said, she's still got great taste in Xbox games! Sharma was asked about her three favourite games on social media over the...
- Xbox
- Xbox Boss
News Three Games Are Available This Week With Xbox Game Pass (February 24-26)
Including an Xbox first-party release!
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! This week, we've got three games entering the library — starting on Tuesday — with that first title being the surprisingly popular TCG Card Shop Simulator for Xbox Series X|S and PC. Here's a quick breakdown on that one, alongside your two other XGP additions...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Forza Horizon 6 Dev Explains Campaign Progression & How You Can 'Deliver Food As A Side Hustle'
"Forza Horizon 6 introduces a vast campaign of discovery"
On the back of Xbox Developer Direct last month, we broke down how Forza Horizon 6 is bringing back the 'Festival Wristband' mechanic from the first Forza Horizon game - and how that system aims to alleviate some issues players have had with a lack of meaningful pro
- Xbox
- Forza Horizon 6
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox Game Pass
News Xbox's 'Pivot Away From Console' Had Been Failing And Questioned At Microsoft, Claims Report
What does that mean for the future?
A huge report has come out today about the supposed behind-the-scenes details of Phil Spencer's Xbox retirement, Sarah Bond's sudden departure and the arrival of new Xbox boss Asha Sharma, and the bit that everyone's focusing on is centred around the "Xbox everywhere" strategy
- Xbox
- Reports
- Industry
News Phil Spencer Responds As Industry Legends Celebrate His Xbox Career
"Games will definitely continue to be a passion"
The sudden announcement of Phil Spencer's retirement at Xbox last Friday sent shockwaves throughout the gaming industry, and a whole lot of industry legends have been taking to social media to celebrate his career over the weekend. He's been responding to a lot of them, too! The likes of former Xbox...
- Xbox
- Phil Spencer
News Former Xbox Employee Returns After 13 Years As New Chief Of Staff
"I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position"
In the midst of all the leadership changes taking place at Xbox last week, it was quietly revealed on LinkedIn by former Xbox employee Craig Cincotta that he's now the new "Chief of Staff, OCEO Xbox". OCEO stands for "Office of the CEO", and Cincotta has a few connections to the new...
- Xbox
- Industry
Guide Resident Evil Requiem Release Date, Release Times & Install Size On Xbox Series X|S
Everything you need to know
Resident Evil Requiem brings Capcom's latest survival horror experience to players later this week, and it's safe to say this is one of the most highly-anticipated Xbox Series X|S games of the year so far. With that in mind, we've gathered up all the key details about RE Requiem ahead of its Xbox launch. From the game's...
- Xbox
- Guides
- Resident Evil Requiem
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Xbox Creator Reveals His Two Tips For The New Microsoft Gaming CEO
"I think younger me would be screaming about this"
All the way back in 2001, Seamus Blackley and his team did the unthinkable by creating a video game console over at Microsoft, and that original Xbox is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary later this year in November! Blackley hasn't been involved with Microsoft for a long time now, but he's...
- Xbox
- Original Xbox
- Seamus Blackley
Sunday22nd Feb 2026
News Xbox's Sarah Bond Issues Statement On Her Departure From Microsoft
"This is the right time for me to take my next step"
Everyone was pretty shocked last week when it was revealed that not only would Phil Spencer be retiring as Microsoft Gaming CEO, but Xbox President Sarah Bond would also be departing at the same time. Bond has since taken to LinkedIn to issue a statement on her departure from the company, which...
- Xbox
- Sarah Bond
- Industry
News 'No Tolerance For Bad AI' - New Xbox Boss Says Games Need 'Great Stories Created By Humans'
AI slop is out of the question, she says
With the new Xbox boss (Asha Sharma) coming from an AI background inside of Microsoft, there's been a lot of discussion about how AI will be integrated into her Xbox vision, which she chose to address in an interview with Variety. Speaking to the outlet on Friday, Sharma advised that she has "no tolerance...
- Xbox
- AI
- Xbox Boss
Poll What Are Your First Impressions Of Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora On Xbox Game Pass?
Have you been enjoying your trip to Pandora so far?
Almost a week ago now, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora joined the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate library as the latest Ubisoft title to become a part of the service, and we want to know what you make of the open-world action-adventure game so far. This has been a real Xbox Series X|S sho
- Xbox
- Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora
- Features
- Polls
- Xbox Game Pass
Review The 'Nacon Revolution X Unlimited' Is A Fantastic-Feeling Xbox Controller, At A Cost
A genuine Elite Series 2 competitor?
These days, I struggle to deviate from using first-party controllers in some fashion, especially when I have my beloved SCUF Instinct on-hand; an Elite-style version of Microsoft's Xbox Series X|S controller. Every now and then though, I do dabble with third-party pads — particularly on PlayStation where the...
- Xbox
- Reviews
- Nacon
- Revolution X Unlimited
- Controllers
Retro Recap All The Classic Gaming News From The Past Week (February 22nd 2026)
Time Extension Bangai-O! Castlevania! Sonic!
Welcome to Retro Recap, a regular feature we run each and every weekend which rounds up all of the best retro gaming news and content of the past week in one place. Treasure's Bangai-O Gets Not One But Two New English Translations: RoboVerse Translations and GammaTrove, as well as the editor Whowasphone404, have...
- Features
- Retro Recap
Saturday21st Feb 2026
News New Xbox Head Suggests Bringing Back The Blades Dashboard In First Social Media Posts
She's already been active on X
Following the announcement of Asha Sharma as the new Xbox boss last night, she immediately took to social media and began replying to various fans and Xbox-related accounts with suggestions and acknowledgements. The one that's getting all the attention relates to her suggestion to "bring the blade dashboard", which...
- Xbox
- Blades Dashboard
- Xbox 360
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Series X
Feature These 30+ Games Are Coming To Xbox Next Week (February 23-27)
Including another three Game Pass titles!
Welcome to your Xbox games roundup for February 23-27! We've got plenty of exciting games on the way over the next few days, including the big release of Resident Evil Requiem! Don't forget about the three Game Pass titles as well — we're particularly interested in the day one release of TCG Card Shop...
- Xbox
- Features
- Weekly Roundup
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X
Feature Who Is Asha Sharma? A Look Back At The Career Of The New Xbox Boss
Phil Spencer's successor!
Whenever Phil Spencer eventually decided to retire from his position as Xbox boss and Microsoft Gaming CEO, we naturally assumed that position would go to Xbox president Sarah Bond — but with Sarah leaving the company following Phil Spencer's retirement last night, it's ended up going to the relatively unknown Asha Sharma...
- Xbox
- Asha Sharma
- Xbox Boss
- Features
News Microsoft CEO Shares His Thoughts On The Major Leadership Changes At Xbox
Satya Nadella is "excited for how we will capture the opportunity ahead"
Last night, we received some of the most important news in Xbox history — Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer is leaving the company after 38 years, Xbox president Sarah Bond is leaving too, and the new boss is Asha Sharma (the former President of Microsoft CoreAI), to be...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Satya Nadella
News 'We Have Good Reasons To Believe In What's Ahead', Insists New Xbox Chief Content Officer
Matt Booty says navigating change is nothing new for Microsoft
We've already covered the statements from Phil Spencer, Asha Sharma and Satya Nadella following last night's major leadership shakeup at Xbox, but what about
- Xbox
- Matt Booty
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 21-22)
We've had some big Game Pass additions this week!
Another weekend is upon us! It's been quite a busy week in terms of XGP additions so we've got plenty to be going at here; Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, The Witcher 3 and more have entered the library over the past few days. With that being said, here's what we're playing this weekend: Ben Kerry,...
- Xbox
- Features
- Talking Point
- What Are You Playing
Friday20th Feb 2026
News New Xbox Boss Makes Official Statement As She Takes Over From Phil Spencer
"I feel two things at once: humility and urgency."
In a seismic bit of news today, Phil Spencer announced that he's retiring as Xbox boss - which means that naturally, someone else has to assume that position over at Xbox HQ. The person taking over is Microsoft's Asha Sharma, who has just shared her first statement as she begins her role as CEO of...
- Xbox
- Microsoft Gaming
- Asha Sharma
- Phil Spencer
- Industry
News Xbox President Sarah Bond Is Also Leaving The Company, Microsoft Confirms
"Sarah Bond has decided to leave Microsoft..."
Much of the spotlight has been on Phil Spencer and new Xbox boss Asha Sharma in relation to today's huge shakeup over at Microsoft Gaming - but thanks to a departing statement from Phil himself, we now know for sure that Xbox Preside
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Sarah Bond
- Xbox President
- Phil Spencer
News Phil Spencer Announces That He's Retiring From Xbox
A massive shakeup for Microsoft Gaming
Posting out to his personal LinkedIn account today, Phil Spencer has announced that he's retiring from Xbox, with the current President of Microsoft's CoreAI product Asha Sharma taking over from the long-time chief of Microsoft's gaming division. Phil
- Xbox
- Phil Spencer
- Microsoft Gaming
- Industry
News God Of War Creator Suggests Xbox Should Get Involved In Bluepoint Games Situation
"Do NOT let this amazing team splinter"
We covered the news last night about how Sony had decided to shut down Bluepoint Games, and in the hours since the announcement was made, there's been plenty of chatter about whether Xbox could potentially step in at all. Mostly notably, the God of War creator David Jaffe took to social media to suggest that...
- Xbox
- God of War
- Bluepoint Games
- Sony
- Phil Spencer
News Xbox Had The Best-Selling Multiplatform Game Of January 2026 In The US
Bet you can't guess what it was
Circana's Mat Piscatella has today shared a bunch of industry figures and statistics from January 2026 — including a top-20 list of the best-selling games in the US last month — and Microsoft has taken the top spot. Yep, you guessed it, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is the best-selling game of January 2026 in the US...
- Xbox
- Microsoft
- Call Of Duty: Black Ops 7
- Activision
- Xbox Series X
News TCG: Card Shop Simulator Sounds Like A Fun & Addictive Time Sink For Xbox Game Pass
It's got "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews on Steam
A few days ago, it was revealed that TCG: Card Shop Simulator would be launching on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S and Xbox Game Pass on February 24th, and it feels like this could be a really fun time sink for the service. The idea is to run your own card shop, of course, featuring the ability to...
- Xbox
- TCG: Card Shop Simulator
- Xbox Game Pass
Roundup All The Xbox Reveals From The Indie Fan Fest & Convergence Games Showcase 2026
Lots of indie goodness on the way to Xbox!
Last night was a busy one for indie showcases! With the Steam Next Fest taking place in just a few days' time, we've been seeing all sorts of developers and publishers trying to plug their free demos as part of the promotion, and there are two particularly notable events to mention from an Xbox perspective...
- Xbox
- Round Up
- Indie Fan Fest
- Convergence Games Showcase
- Xbox Series X
News Soulslinger: Envoy Of Death Is Out Now On Xbox, And Here Are The First Console Reviews
"Become the ultimate Soulslinger"
When we did our "Games Coming to Xbox Next Week" roundup last Saturday, the image we used for the thumbnail was taken from Soulslinger: Envoy of Death — and that game is officially out now on Xbox at a pretty budget price! In this single-player roguelite FPS, you'll unleash your powers and upgrade your abilities...
- Xbox
- Soulslinger: Envoy of Death
- Round Up
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Four 2026 Game Pass Titles Get New Gameplay Showcases Ahead Of Landing On The Service
All arriving in the coming months!
Four Xbox Game Pass titles planned for 2026 — one of them coming next month and three simply scheduled for later this year — have just gotten new gameplay showcases ahead of their arrival on Microsoft's subscription service. The four games in question are Aphelion from Don't Nod, Awaysis, Denshattack! and
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- PC
Talking Point What Are The Best 'Hidden Gem' Xbox Games You've Played In Recent Years?
We can think of a bunch
These days, it's easier than ever to discover hidden gems on Xbox — partly thanks to how many titles are being curated by the ID@Xbox program, but also due to how many of them are also included as part of Xbox Game Pass. In the past year alone, we've been treated to so many amazing lesser-known titles that many of us...
- Xbox
- Talking Point
- Hidden Gem
Thursday19th Feb 2026
News Bethesda Says Starfield's Next Update Will 'Change The Game' But 'It's Not Starfield 2.0'
Todd Howard talks the future of this sci-fi RPG
In recent months, we've heard a lot about Starfield and its next Xbox update, which has been rumoured for a while now to coincide with a PS5 release of the Bethesda RPG. Very little of that information has come directly from the team though, but this week, Todd Howard has been speaking with Kinda Funny...
- Xbox
- Starfield
- Bethesda
- PS5
- Xbox Series X
Poll As Things Stand, Will You Be Buying GTA 6 On Xbox This November?
Are you planning to be there day one?
We're still well over six months away from the release of GTA 6 in November (assuming it doesn't get delayed again, of course), but considering how busy things are about to get with Forza Horizon 6, Fable, Gears of War: E-Day, Halo: Campaign Evolved and whatever else releasing on Xbox over the coming months,...
- Xbox
- GTA 6
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
- Polls
The company has been axed today
As you may have seen already today, it's been revealed that Sony is shutting down Bluepoint Games — the studio behind the likes of the Shadow of the Colossus remake, the Demon's Souls remake and various other projects. From an Xbox perspective, there's not a whole lot to talk about, but the company did do some...
- Xbox
- Sony
- PlayStation
- Bluepoint Games
- Titanfall
News Three Games Are Available Today With Xbox Game Pass (February 19)
Including a new EA Play addition
Welcome to your latest Xbox Game Pass update! Today, we have three titles joining the service, including a new EA Play drop and a major addition from the folks over at CD Projekt RED. Without further ado, here are your new Xbox Game Pass titles for February 19: Death Howl (Series X|S, PC, Cloud) - Ultimate,...
- Xbox
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Five New Games Added To Retro Classics On Xbox Game Pass In February 2026
Including a couple of DOS adventure titles
Xbox and the folks at Antstream Arcade have treated us to our second batch of new Xbox Retro Classics titles of the year today, with five new games being added to the retro streaming service here in February 2026. Here are those new additions to Xbox Retro Classics this month: Stampede (1981) (Atari...
- Xbox
- Xbox Retro Classics
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Activision
News Xbox Free Play Days: Try These Five Games For Free, Including Battlefield 6 (February 19-22)
All BF6 content available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers
Xbox Free Play Days has returned for yet another week, and the highlight of the bunch is definitely Battlefield 6 this time around, with Xbox Game Pass subscribers able to access all content in the game until late on Sunday night. Specifically, members of the Essential, Premium and Ultimate...
- Xbox
- Free Play Days
- Xbox Game Pass
- Microsoft
- Xbox Series X
Lots of plates spinning over at Bethesda Game Studios
It's been eons at this point since The Elder Scrolls 6 was first announced (all the way back in 2018, if you're keeping score), and to this day, we actually know very little about what to expect from the next TES game. While those details remain elusive for the time being, Bethesda's Todd Howard...
- Xbox
- The Elder Scrolls 6
- Bethesda
- Microsoft
- Todd Howard
News Popular Xbox Games Drop To Their 'Lowest Price Ever' In New ID@Xbox Multiplayer Sale
Don't overlook this STACKED new ID@Xbox sale!
Xbox isn't slowing down with the new sales at the moment! In addition to the massive Xbox Lunar New Year Sale that's continuing until late next week, we've also got a new ID@Xbox Multiplayer Sale filled with over 300 games! We've noticed plenty of "lowest price ever" discounts in this sale featuring...
- Xbox
- Deals
- ID@Xbox
- Lowest Price Ever
Wednesday18th Feb 2026
News One Of March's Most-Promising Xbox Game Pass Titles Has Been Delayed
Now launching in April
Sad Cat Studios, the team behind the long-awaited cyberpunk platformer Replaced, has today announced that its upcoming Xbox and Game Pass release has been delayed. Yep, the game's prior release date was set at March 12th (a date that had already been pushed back numerous times), and we now have roughly another month to wai
- Xbox
- Replaced
- Xbox Game Pass
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Digital Foundry Delivers Its Verdict On Avowed For PS5, And How It Compares To Xbox Series X|S
Series X visuals are comparable to PS5 Pro!
As we shared earlier today, Avowed's big anniversary update is now live on Xbox and PC, bringing huge changes and additions to the Obsidian RPG on existing platforms. However,
- Xbox
- Avowed
- PS5
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
News Avowed Xbox Anniversary Update Now Live, Here's Everything Included In Patch 2.0
Playable with Game Pass Premium and Ultimate!
Avowed is now a year old on Xbox Series X|S and PC, and to celebrate the game's one-year anniversary, the team at Obsidian Entertainment has dropped its big 2.0 patch - featuring New Game+, new playable species', custom difficulty options and more. So, we're going to throw all of patch notes for this...
- Xbox
- Avowed
- Anniversary Patch
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
Deals DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Upgrade DLC Has An Incredible Xbox Offer Right Now
Live for the next week!
DOOM: The Dark Ages' still-in-development campaign DLC hasn't even been revealed by Bethesda yet - but you can pre-purchase it at a pretty huge discount on the Xbox Store right now. Yep, over on the Microsoft Store for the next seven days or so, DOOM: The Dark Ages Premium Upgrade is 67% off. That brings the DLC pack down to...
- Xbox
- Deals
- DOOM: The Dark Ages
- Bethesda
- id Software
News Highguard Website Goes Offline Following Mass Layoffs At The Game's Studio
Is this the beginning of the end?
Last week, we found out that a "core group" of developers are left working on Highguard following mass layoffs at Wildlight Entertainment - and it's now been discovered that the game's official website has gone offline, sparking further fears for the game's future. Indeed, if you head over to the Highguard website...
- Xbox
- Highguard
- Wildlight Entertainment
- Xbox Series X
- Xbox Series S
