'Part Of The Return To Xbox' - Asha Sharma Explains Why FanFest Is Returning This Summer

You've heard of Xbox FanFest, right? This is the name for an official Xbox community program that aims to bring Xbox fans together in various ways, and it's usually highlighted by a special in-person celebration in Los Angeles for the annual Xbox Games Showcase that takes place each June.

Last year though, there wasn't one in June - Xbox fans actually decided to host their own community version to make up for it (there was an official one at Gamescom though). New Xbox boss Asha Sharma says she's "heard clearly" that the in-person Xbox FanFest events are valued by the community, and that's why this latest one is returning to LA for the Xbox Games Showcase 2026.

"In my first month, I heard clearly that our community values Xbox FanFest. As part of the return of Xbox, we made the decision to bring it back to LA to recognize the players who’ve been with us over the years."

The bit that really interests us here is the "return of Xbox" mention, which goes back to what Sharma was saying when first hired as Microsoft Gaming CEO - this whole idea of "returning to our roots" that's made a good impression already:

For the majority of us, the return of Xbox FanFest in June isn't going to mean a whole lot (unless you're based in LA, in which case check out the FanFest Sweepstakes on the Xbox website), but it's certainly intriguing that Sharma has connected it to the idea of "returning" to what the Xbox brand is all about.

It's going to be worth keeping an eye on how it turns out as well. It's mentioned on the Xbox Wire website that FanFest will "include a look back at the last 25 years, alongside a forward view of what’s next", and we're definitely curious to see what the "forward view of what's next" section ends up highlighting.

In the spirit of "returning", we'll leave you with a look back at how huge Xbox FanFest used to be a few years ago!

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know down in the comments section below.

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