Former Xbox President Sarah Bond breaks silence after surprise exit

Former Xbox President Sarah Bond breaks silence after surprise exit Home > Tech > Tech Industry Former Xbox President Sarah Bond breaks silence after surprise exit "I’ve decided this is the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally." By Chance Townsend Chance Townsend Assistant Editor, General Assignments Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones. Read Full Bio on February 23, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard Credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Former Xbox president Sarah Bond has broken her silence following last week’s stunning leadership shakeup at Microsoft Gaming.In a heartfelt LinkedIn post, Bond published the note she sent to her team, writing that she is "incredibly proud of what we’ve built together over the past eight-plus years." The post followed the news that both Bond and longtime Xbox chief Phil Spencer were stepping down. She pointed to Xbox’s growth in PC and cloud gaming, development of its next console, and efforts to create "a more open gaming platform that spans devices." You May Also Like "With that, I’ve decided this is the right time for me to take my next step, both personally and professionally," Bond wrote, adding that she will remain on as a special advisor to incoming Xbox head Asha Sharma during the transition. Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. Loading... Sign Me Up Use this instead By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up! The post marked Bond’s first public comments since the "huge shakeup" at Xbox, which saw Spencer retire and Asha Sharma elevated to Executive Vice President and CEO of Microsoft Gaming. At the time, Bond was widely viewed as Spencer’s heir apparent and had recently spoken publicly about the next generation of Xbox hardware. SEE ALSO: President of Xbox Sarah Bond talks Ally X, next-gen console, and recent price increases Bond joined Xbox in 2017 after stints at McKinsey and T-Mobile and went on to play a key role in Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. She also positioned herself as a visible advocate for accessibility and platform openness in gaming. Related Stories Xbox is preparing to bring ads to cloud gaming Review: The ROG Xbox Ally X is an impressive yet flawed handheld President of Xbox Sarah Bond talks Ally X, next-gen console, and recent price increases In her farewell note, Bond thanked Spencer for his "mentorship and friendship" and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for his support.Xbox now enters a new chapter under Sharma, a CoreAI executive with limited gaming experience. For Bond, meanwhile, the next move remains unclear — though her note said she would "remain on as a Special Advisor to Asha" during the transition. Topics Xbox Video Games Chance Townsend Assistant Editor, General Assignments Chance Townsend is the General Assignments Editor at Mashable, covering tech, video games, dating apps, digital culture, and whatever else comes his way. He has a Master's in Journalism from the University of North Texas and is a proud orange cat father. His writing has also appeared in PC Mag and Mother Jones.In his free time, he cooks, loves to sleep, and greatly enjoys Detroit sports. If you have any tips or want to talk shop about the Lions, you can reach out to him on Bluesky @offbrandchance.bsky.social or by email at [email protected].