Asha Sharma became the new leader of Xbox in February 2026, taking over from Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond. Since then, she has been working to build a stronger connection with gamers, often engaging with them through her active presence on the social media platform X. However, her tenure has not been without challenges, including a significant reduction in workforce, with 4,800 employees laid off this summer. In an article published by The Wall Street Journal on September 12, 2026, Asha Sharma reflected on her first months leading Microsoft's gaming division. She emphasized the need for "better communication about difficulties and realities," saying that "clarity is a form of kindness." She also discussed the financial challenges facing Xbox, noting that its revenue of around $23 billion is declining, and its profit margin is only 3 percent—meaning for every $100 in revenue, only $3 is profit. This is a relatively small profit margin, especially considering the division employs 14,000 people. Todd Howard, known for his work on games like Fallout, Starfield, and the upcoming Elder Scrolls 6, praised Sharma for her ability to be direct and clear in her communication. He noted that she effectively outlines both the challenges and the opportunities facing the division. Despite not being a gamer herself and having no prior experience in the video game industry, Sharma has taken several steps to connect with the gaming community. She recently appeared alongside Hideo Kojima, the famous game designer who had recently parted ways with PlayStation. She has also decided to pause the development of AI Copilot Gaming at Xbox, at least for now. In an effort to understand the challenges faced by gamers, Sharma has taken on an anonymous role within Xbox's technical support team. Each month, she spends a few hours responding to user requests, which has given her insight into the complexity of resolving individual player issues. However, details about the future of the Xbox brand and the upcoming launch of Xbox Helix, the next generation of Xbox consoles, remain unclear. Development kits for the new console are not expected to be available until 2027, with a public release possibly not happening until the end of 2027 or even 2028. Under Sharma's leadership, Microsoft is focusing on its major franchises, including Call of Duty, Minecraft, Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls, and Fallout.