Microsoft Xbox's new head, Ashra Sharma, responds to resume doubts: "There is a lot to learn, and I will earn the trust of players and developers."

IT House, February 23 — On February 20, 2026, local time, during a corporate restructuring at Microsoft, Ashish Sharma was promoted to CEO of Microsoft Gaming. Former Xbox President Sara Bond has left the company, and Phil Spencer, who has long been in charge of Xbox, officially retired after nearly 40 years with Microsoft.

Ashish Sharma joined Microsoft in 2024 from e-commerce platform Instacart, where she served as President of the AI Products Division. She has no prior experience in the gaming industry. Upon the announcement, Xbox players expressed concerns about the future.

On February 20, local time, Sharma gave an interview to Variety, stating that she believes great games are those with “deep emotional resonance,” “unique perspectives,” and stories that “touch players.” She cited the beloved narrative mystery game “Firewatch” as an example.

Regarding her background, Sharma admitted that as someone outside the gaming industry, she “has a lot to learn,” but she considers herself a “platform builder” and plans to “earn the trust of players and developers.”

In her first internal memo to Xbox employees, she promised “not to pursue short-term efficiency or fill our ecosystem with soulless AI garbage.” She told Variety that her stance is “zero tolerance for bad AI.”

Sharma also stated that “AI has been part of gaming for a long time and will continue to be,” mentioning the need for a “growth engine” for gaming, but emphasized that “great stories are created by humans.”

According to previous reports from IT House, Sharma also emphasized that her top priority is to ensure that Microsoft’s studios deliver high-quality games; the second initiative focuses on “the return of Xbox,” specifically leading a renewed focus on the core Xbox player community.