Xbox is not for sale”: CEO Asha Sharma vows to “do whatever it takes” to turn the console maker’s fortunes around

Microsoft Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has firmly dismissed mounting speculation that the console maker is being put up for sale, insisting the company will “do whatever it takes” to reverse its declining fortunes. Speaking to The New York Times amid a sweeping corporate restructuring that has already reshaped the studio landscape, Sharma made clear that Xbox remains firmly under Microsoft’s control despite a wave of layoffs, studio spin-offs, and the transfer of major franchises to other publishers.

The comments arrive during one of the most turbulent periods in the division’s history. This year, Xbox launched a corporate reset that plans to cut a total of 3,200 jobs across the company before next summer. The restructure has already seen three studios go independent—Double Fine, Compulsion Games, and Undead Labs—while the futures of Ninja Theory, the maker of Hellblade, and Arkane, the studio behind Dishonored, remain uncertain.

A dramatic reshaping of Xbox’s studios

In one of the most significant moves of the restructuring, Xbox handed Activision the rights to the entire Halo series earlier this month. Rare and World’s Edge, the team behind Age of Empires, also moved under the Call of Duty publisher, while Obsidian Entertainment was slotted into Bethesda. The consolidation leaves only a handful of developers under the Xbox Game Studios umbrella: The Coalition (Gears of War), Playground Games (Fable, Forza), Mojang (Minecraft), InXile Entertainment (Clockwork Revolution), and what remains of Halo Studios.

To many industry observers, the consolidation looked like a calculated effort to streamline the business and make it more attractive to potential buyers. Microsoft might have struggled to sell Rare on its own, for example, but bundling it with a company in control of Call of Duty makes such a task considerably easier. A sale, however, is not on the table, according to Sharma.

“Xbox is not for sale”

Speaking to The New York Times, Sharma put the matter plainly, shutting down years of analyst speculation in a single sentence.

“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.”

Asha Sharma, Xbox CEO

As the New York Times noted, Sharma’s answer does not completely rule out the possibility of Xbox being spun off as an independent entity that continues to work closely with Microsoft, as some analysts have suggested. There are no signs of such a move at present, however.

“We’ve got a long way to go with Microsoft,” Sharma added, “and we’re going to take the long-term view.”

Looking ahead

From here, the console maker is hoping next week’s Gears of War: E-Day and next year’s Clockwork Revolution can still make a splash as Xbox console exclusives. Sharma also recently signed a deal with Kojima Productions on its action-stealth game Physint, after rival PlayStation pulled funding from the project.

The executive’s remarks come as the gaming industry watches closely to see how Microsoft will navigate an increasingly competitive market. With major franchises now distributed across multiple publishers and a leaner studio lineup, the company’s strategy will likely be tested in the months ahead. For now, however, Sharma’s message is unambiguous: Xbox is staying put, and Microsoft intends to fight for its future.