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Sarah Bond is leaving Xbox
The Verge
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Sarah Bond is leaving Xbox

The Verge · Feb 20, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Sarah Bond during the May 2024 Bloomberg Technology Summit. | Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images Sarah Bond, the president and COO of Xbox, is leaving the organization, along with CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer. Her departure is being announced at the same time as Spencer's, with Asha Sharma moving into the EVP and CEO of Gaming role and Matt Booty being promoted to EVP and chief content officer. Microsoft is making the changes as it is undergoing some dramatic shifts to its Xbox plans, including bringing Windows and Xbox closer together to empower devices like the Xbox Ally handheld instead of relying entirely on first-party Xbox hardware. The company is also navigating increased pressures on the Xbox business, major layoffs, an … Read the full story at The Verge.

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Skip to main contentBond and CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer will be departing.Bond and CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer will be departing.by Jay PetersFeb 20, 2026, 8:29 PM UTCJay Peters is a senior reporter covering technology, gaming, and more. He joined The Verge in 2019 after nearly two years at Techmeme.Sarah Bond, the president and COO of Xbox, is leaving the organization, along with CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer. Her departure is being announced at the same time as Spencer’s, with Asha Sharma moving into the EVP and CEO of Gaming role and Matt Booty being promoted to EVP and chief content officer.Microsoft is making the changes as it is undergoing some dramatic shifts to its Xbox plans, including bringing Windows and Xbox closer together to empower devices like the Xbox Ally handheld instead of relying entirely on first-party Xbox hardware. The company is also navigating increased pressures on the Xbox business, major layoffs, and hits to Xbox studios.Bond joined Microsoft in 2017, initially serving as a CVP focused on gaming partnerships and business development. She was promoted to president of Xbox in 2023, with Spencer saying in a memo at the time that she would oversee teams including devices, player and creator experiences, strategy, and business planning.Bond will be leaving Microsoft to start a “new chapter,” Spencer says in an internal memo. “Sarah has been instrumental during a defining period for Xbox, shaping our platform strategy, expanding Game Pass and cloud gaming, supporting new hardware launches, and guiding some of the most significant moments in our history,” Spencer says. “I’m grateful for her partnership and the impact she’s had, and I wish her the very best in what comes next.”Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Jay PetersThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)

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