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New Xbox boss Asha Sharma has been extremely active in putting her stamp on the brand over the past few months since she took over from Phil Spencer, and based on first impressions, it seems like things are going pretty well.
She apparently addressed Xbox's progress in 2026 so far in an internal memo to employees last week, with The Verge reporting that she highlighted the recent branding switch from Xbox to "XBOX", and how the price reduction for Xbox Game Pass has led to more members and better retention.
Here's a bit of what she had to say about both of these:
“Growth [of Game Pass] slowed down and subscriber loss accelerated after the pricing and SKU changes last year. Since our price reduction we have seen acquisitions grow and retention improve, which is a good first step.”
"We are building a stronger XBOX. That means making hard choices about what we build, where we invest, and what kind of company we need to be going forward. That is part of what you are starting to see in the shift from Xbox to XBOX. It reflects a decision to be deliberate in how we show up for the players who care most about this brand."
The outlet says that the memo doesn't read like a victory lap by any means though, with Sharma warning that Xbox's problems can't be solved with any single feature or improvement, and they'll keep needing to work quickly and efficiently to "outwork" the issues that are preventing "durable growth".
It certainly sounds like Sharma is planning a lot more changes for Xbox in the weeks, months and years ahead, and if she keeps up this kind of pace, it's going to be a fascinating second half of the year for the brand - even if you ignore the actual games that have already been announced for 2026!
Whatever happens, we'll be here to keep you in the loop as the Asha Sharma era rolls on...