Asha Sharma Drives Major Restructuring at Microsoft's Gaming Business

Asha Sharma, an Indian technology executive, took over as CEO of Microsoft's gaming business in February 2026. Born in Racine, Wisconsin, in 1989, she brings a background in artificial intelligence, product development, and technology operations to one of the world's biggest gaming businesses.

Sharma started her career at Microsoft in 2011 before later working at Meta as vice-president of product and engineering. She also held senior roles at Instacart and Porch Group. After a stint as president of CoreAI Product at Microsoft, where she worked on AI products and services, Sharma became CEO of Microsoft Gaming.

Sharma is overseeing a major Xbox restructuring that includes plans to cut about 3,200 jobs and reduce game output. She aims for a more focused strategy for the gaming business while emphasizing direct communication about problems and opportunities. The restructuring comes after Phil Spencer's retirement as CEO of Microsoft Gaming in February 2026.

Sharma has been praised by some staff members for her clarity on what's broken and where the opportunities lie. She personally handles customer-support tickets a few hours a month to stay close to players. Strategically, she is cutting output and focusing on franchises like 'Elder Scrolls' and 'Halo,' pushing Minecraft toward more user-generated content, courting indie developers, and expanding film/TV licensing.