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[spookyfish]

I'm pretty sure he announced his impending retirement last year. Him and Nutella mentioned that in their letters.

Microsoft Insists Xbox Boss Phil Spencer Isn't Retiring 'Anytime Soon' in Response to Rumors Following Mass Layoffs

July 2025: https://www.yahoo.com/news/microsof...JFAiHMcUYTkG9tikbz44vhp9C3JydiQqQiGgkjNPhgGpd

 

[ZehDon]

Spencer AND Bond out?

Hardware's dead, then. Can't imagine they'll keep the Xbox name around much longer with that kind of reshuffle, either. Likely everything will be folded into "Microsoft Gaming" before long, and they'll just focus on publishing. I'd expect quite a few firings and studio closures as they consolidate around a few big brands.

 

[Markio128]

Or is that one of Asha's nips in my mouth.

 

[bighugeguns]

lol, how many people are giving up on Sony after Bluepoint shutdown and moving to Xbox now?!

She's a professional job hopper with no gaming experience. Xbox is cooked.

Not so fast, man, let's see what happens.

 

[Topher]

So Sharma's "first job" is "understand what makes this work".

Great.......Microsoft Gaming CEO will be getting on the job training.

What could go wrong?

 

[Nankatsu]

Being honest I always liked Phil Spencer. Grabbed a ship that was already sinking, in some sense, and never seemed truly backed up.

Sadly, choosing an AI exec for Microsoft Gaming CEO...you can already see where Microsoft is going with Xbox.

 

[jm89]

If ash cancels Magnus she is the will the best Xbox CEO in my eyes

 

[CosmicComet]

Phil did excellent work as a Sony double agent.

 

[Nydius]

The Xbox series X might be the last hardware we see from Microsoft.

I wonder if Magnus will even be released now.

If I were a betting man (which I'm not because I'm too damn poor), I'd put all my money on "no".
Especially after reading the official MS blog post, specifically the part GOKUSSJ2 quoted above.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

NGL, Instacart's a pretty good service. A lot fairer than most of the others. So her coming from there ain't a bad sign.

Sure it's got nothing to do with gaming, but hey....it's a good service

 

[Ashamam]

I'm betting Bond was offered a role she couldn't accept (by design). As in we have this great position in mind for you, sorry its not the big chair, but its just down the hall (in the closet).

 

[DeepEnigma]

This is why I let you all run around like chickens with their heads chopped off over a remake studio

It still stings. They put out polished products compared to most "fix it as we go" games now.

 

[Gamezone]

Sad. Phil Spencer is an actual gamer.

 

[dragonyeuw]

I'm not sure I'd call it a promotion…

Old title- President of Game Content and Studios
New title- Chief content officer

 

[uncreativename]

AI this, AI that. So depressing lol. The name Xbox used to mean something... like over a decade ago .

Oh well, can't say Phil doesn't deserve this. He took his moonshot and lost horribly.

Hopefully they turn things around but I'll be over on PC and Nintendo, not holding my breath and preparing for the day I move to Linux full time.

 

[spookyfish]

So Sharma's "first job" is "understand what makes this work".

Great.......Microsoft Gaming CEO will be getting on the job training.

What could go wrong?

Can she do any worse?

(I kid -- of course she could.)

 

[mayham2199]

Not so fast, man, let's see what happens.

Yea lets get back into "wait till next year" cycle.

 

[tr1p1ex]

Anything actually changing? Seems like the same plan.

Still doesn't sound like there will be an xbox console but instead an Xpc. And it still sounds like they are more interested in business models.

 

[Banjo64]

Phil Spencer is your brother
Sarah Bond is your sister
You all fuck one a another

The Xbox family

Ta na na na

Think that might go over most people's heads here

 

[Mr Moose]

Bond too. Wtf happened. Lmao. This week is insane. What's next?

Yeah, I wonder what happened with her.

 

[OverHeat]

Sink the ship then bail out

 

[Topher]

Yeah, I wonder what happened with her.

My guess is she got passed over for Sharma and said "fuck you".

 

[Edgelord79]

Sara Bond leaving is a bit of a shocker. Change here is good though.

 

[Xaeroxcore666]

Spencer wasnt exactly great, but oh boy...His replacement...Xbox and Microsoft are really on a downward spiral.

 

[PauloRoberto]

Anyone who compares Spencer and Jim Ryan departures is not only a zealot... but an idiot.

One had almost 6 months between announcement and retirement... the over had zero days (not couting weekends).

Let's be real, Spencer was fired.

 

[TransTrender]

Good!
Phil lost the plot long ago and Sara is an illiterate retarded diversity hire.
Bring on the worst because there's nothing left.

 

[efyu_lemonardo]

What is MS' plan for all the game studios it owns? Will they just die a slow, agonizing death?

 

[damidu]

Yeah, I wonder what happened with her.

wasnt she the hw person too.
guess magnus just got canned.

 

[DryvBy]

Thankfully in 1999, I bought a Jump to Conclusions mat and I saw this coming.

 

[SEGAvangelist]

Sara Bond leaving is a bit of a shocker. Change here is good though.

Not this change lol

 

[Wastelander92]

Guess you can say AI took their jobs.

 

[Tarkus]

Goodbye Phil; I really appreciated your work. Not sure about this Asha person but will probably still buy the new Xbox for completionist's sake.

Guess I need a new avatar.

 

[Insane Metal]

Finally some good news for XBox. Been a few years.

 

[Viruz]

Yeah, Spencer and Bond out - basically puts a pin in Xbox HW.

 

[Red Crayon Aristocrat]

Gaming is cooked because they decided they didn't need gamers, we were too busy being white... and male.

So now they get to watch as the whole thing sinks.

 

[thicc_girls_are_teh_best]

This is why I let you all run around like chickens with their heads chopped off over a remake studio

You're right: they're both stupid, for different reasons.

Gaming is cooked because they decided they didn't need gamers, we were too busy being white... and male.

So now they get to watch as the whole thing sinks.

All gamers are white...and male? I'm not.

You guys gotta stop getting AI to write your texts. Don't turn into Microsoft.

 

[TKOFromTokyo]

Not so fast, man, let's see what happens.

Are you expecting Sony to completely shit the bed? That's the only way this happens, and that's not going to happen.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Anyone who compares Spences and Jim Ryan departures is not only a zealot... but an idiot.

One had almost 6 months between announcement and retirement... the over had zero days (not couting weekends).

Let's be real, Spencer was fired.

If they truly cared about that division (they don't) they would've had a similar send-off all over the socials along with all that Xbox brand energy and passing of the torch. Especially since they made him a cult of personality.

It was abrupt. Peeling off the band-aid, abrupt.

 

[saintjules]

I feel like we all traveled to an alternate reality. WTF is going on this week?

 

[bighugeguns]

Are you expecting Sony to completely shit the bed? That's the only way this happens, and that's not going to happen.

What? No, man, I'm just curious what comes next for xbox.

 

[Edgelord79]

Sharma will now don the fabled leather jacket at gaming events?

 

[xrnzaaas]

Phil is being replaced by some AI department lady - lol. If you think it was bad so far, get ready for a new low.

 

[Certinty]

Too little too late.

 

[kruis]

New Xbox boss is already asking copilot which studios to close.

It's much easier firing people you don't know from Adam.

 

[tmlDan]

Not so fast, man, let's see what happens.

Explain to me why they would hire the person in charge of CoreAI, a person who has been there 2 years with no gaming experience? Explain it to me, what should i wait for?

 

[adamsapple]

Yeah, I wonder what happened with her.

Could be that she said if Phil goes, I go.

 

[bitbydeath]

Ouch, Sarah just posted about Xbox 4 hours ago.
I think she found out when we did.

 

[memoryman3]

This now squarely puts Xbox division into one of the biggest rounds of layoffs they'll ever see, all under the guise of 'restructuring' under new exec leadership.

Meh. This isn't bad news. A lot of Xbox's teams can't ship good games if their lives depended on it. Recent Obsidian output doesn't make me hopeful for the studio's future potential.

I'm more interested in the fate of the Microsoft Store and their hardware.

 

[PauloRoberto]

If they truly cared about that division (they don't) they would've had a similar send-off all over the socials along with all that Xbox brand energy and passing of the torch. Especially since they made him a cult of personality.

It was abrupt. Peeling off the band-aid, abrupt.

At least, the 'torch' would be passed on the 25th anniversary of XBox, and these weeks/months would be a transition period... but MS is even more heartless than a normal corporation and don't even know the basic concept of public opinion.

 

[Neat]

I wonder if hardware changes are already decided. It would put Sarah Bond in an impossible position to walk back the things she already said. You can't be at that level, public facing, and admit what you sold your fans on is no more.