Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has firmly rejected the idea that Microsoft could sell its gaming business, declaring that “Xbox is not for sale” following weeks of layoffs, studio restructuring and project cancellations.
Speaking in a new interview with The New York Times, Sharma addressed questions surrounding the future of Xbox after one of the biggest reorganizations in the history of Microsoft’s gaming division.
Her message was straightforward: Microsoft has no plans to sell Xbox.
Asha Sharma Says Xbox Is Not for Sale
Asked about the possibility of Microsoft divesting its Xbox business, Sharma said:
“Xbox is not for sale. We will do whatever it takes to set the company up for success, and we will look at the right partnerships, the right operating model, and everything needed to achieve that.”
The statement comes at an important moment for Xbox.
Microsoft has recently made significant changes across its gaming operations, including hundreds of layoffs, project cancellations and major organizational changes affecting several of its best-known studios and franchises.
As part of the restructuring, Halo has moved under Activision Blizzard, while Obsidian Entertainment has been relocated under Bethesda Game Studios.
The changes have inevitably raised questions about Microsoft’s long-term plans for Xbox and whether even more drastic restructuring could follow.
Sharma, however, says Microsoft and Xbox are approaching the situation with a long-term perspective.
“We’ve got a long way to go with Microsoft, and we’re going to take the long-term view.”
Xbox Is Looking for a Sustainable Future
Sharma’s comments also follow recent statements from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who praised the ongoing “streamlining” of Xbox while stressing the need to establish a sustainable business model for Microsoft’s gaming operations.
The broader strategy appears focused on transforming Xbox beyond the traditional console business.
Microsoft has increasingly expanded its games across PC and other platforms while investing in Game Pass, cloud gaming and features designed to make players’ existing libraries accessible across more devices.
Most recently, Xbox launched its disc-to-digital licensing system globally, allowing eligible physical Xbox games to provide digital access across supported Xbox platforms while players retain ownership of the original disc.
Despite the scale of the current restructuring, Sharma’s latest statement leaves little ambiguity regarding one of the biggest questions surrounding Microsoft’s gaming division:
Xbox itself is not for sale.
