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😖 Seamus Blackley, co-founder of Xbox, predicts the brand will be “sunsetted” under new CEO Asha Sharma, describing her role as “palliative care.”
🤖 Blackley believes Microsoft’s focus on AI is incompatible with the creator-driven nature and “auteur model” of video games
👎 Blackley lamented that Microsoft did not hire someone “passionate about games” for the CEO role, as Sharma admits she is not a core gamer
🤔 Sharma’s appointment followed the retirements of Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond; her stated commitments include delivering great games and returning Xbox to its memorable past
Countless people have shared their opinions about Microsoft’s decision to appoint Asha Sharma as the new head of Xbox. But perhaps one that carries the most weight is that of Xbox co-founder, Seamus Blackley.
Blackley, who first proposed the idea of Microsoft launching a console and was instrumental in the Xbox brand being created, believes Asha Sharma’s appointment will lead to Xbox being “sunsetted” in the future.
Speaking to Gamesbeat, Blackley said: “Xbox, like a lot of businesses that aren’t the core AI business, is being sunsetted... They don’t say that, but that’s what’s happening. I expect that the new CEO, Asha Sharma, her job is going to be as a palliative care doctor who slides Xbox gently into the night.”
Blackley also lamented the fact Microsoft hasn’t hired someone who is a gamer at heart, as Sharma has openly admitted she isn’t one.
“It would have been shocking if they had somebody in there in a meaningful role who was passionate about games, passionate about the creator-driven business of games, because it would be in direct conflict with everything else Microsoft is doing,” said Blackley.
Microsoft’s obsession with AI is also at total odds with video games, Blackley said, and that the company is “now about enabling its customers by enabling AI to drive things. That’s at odds with the auteur model of any art, but specifically of games.”
Asha@asha_shar
Today I begin my role as CEO of @Xbox. Here are my three commitments: 1/ GREAT games 2/ Return of @Xbox 3/ Future of play
blogs.microsoft.com
Asha Sharma named EVP and CEO, Microsoft Gaming - The Official Microsoft Blog
9:08 PM · Feb 20, 2026 · 4.63M Views
7.15K Replies · 2.3K Reposts · 24.1K Likes
Sharma recently shared her Gamertag after online commenters requested it, and it showed that the new Xbox CEO only started to play games in the last month or so. When asked what her favorite games were, Sharma said Halo, Valheim and Goldeneye. Some have accused Sharma of using AI to respond to people’s comments, an allegation which she has denied.
Sharma’s appointment took many people by surprise after Phil Spencer’s retirement and Sarah Bond’s resignation. Sharma joined Microsoft in 2024 and was the head of Core AI. Sharma said her three commitments as the CEO of Xbox include delivering great games, returning Xbox to what people remember, and focusing on the future of play.
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Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.
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