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Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says "Xbox is not for sale" amid restructuring

In a New York Times interview, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma denied reports that Microsoft is considering selling Xbox. Coverage notes the denial comes alongside layoffs and restructuring, and does not rule out a future sale.

2 outlets · 1L · 1C · 0R First reported Account updated
Image: The Verge
Image: Screen Rant

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The story, neutrally told

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has denied reports that Microsoft is considering selling its Xbox business. Speaking to The New York Times, she said Xbox would "do whatever it takes to set the company up for success" and look at "the right partnerships, the right operating model and everything needed to achieve that." The Verge says The Information reported in June that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood had considered spinning out Xbox, and later reported that both had "more recently supported Sharma's plans to overhaul the unit."

Sharma announced an Xbox restructuring in June, and Microsoft plans to lay off up to 3,200 Xbox employees during its 2027 financial year, according to The Verge. Nadella recently backed the streamlining on the Sources podcast, saying the team must "invent the right sustainable business model." Changes so far include moving Halo under Activision, along with the studios behind Sea of Thieves and Age of Empires, according to The Verge; Screen Rant adds that id Software has been downsized and Arkane Lyon faces French legal proceedings over divestiture.

Both outlets caution that the denial is not a guarantee: The Verge says the changes could eventually end in a sale, and Screen Rant notes the decision would not rest with Sharma. Sharma also said there is "a long way to go with Microsoft" and that Xbox will take "the long-term view."

Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.

Left1 outlet

Framing
A business-news account tying the denial to reporting from The Information, Nadella's backing and the planned layoffs.
Emphasis
Executive positions at Microsoft, the 3,200 layoff figure, and the restructuring's possible aim of making Xbox a wholly owned subsidiary like LinkedIn.
Leaves out or plays down
Says little about the impact on specific studios or on fans.
Charged language
“reset”
For example
“the recent changes look geared towards making Xbox a wholly owned subsidiary like Microsoft does with LinkedIn.” — The Verge

Centre1 outlet

Framing
A fan-oriented piece that reports the denial, then questions how much it settles and dwells on the human cost of the changes.
Emphasis
Studio closures and cuts, Sharma's limited authority over a sale, and the 500 million monthly players figure.
Leaves out or plays down
Does not mention the 3,200 layoff figure, Nadella and Hood's reported positions, or The Information's reporting.
Charged language
“aggressive restructuring”“human cost”
For example
“Notably, this doesn't necessarily confirm that the threat of divestiture is nonexistent for Xbox.” — Screen Rant

Right0 outlets

No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.