Xbox is dropping the Microsoft Gaming name and going back to calling the division Xbox, according to a blog post the company published after an Xbox all-hands meeting today. Asha Sharma reportedly told employees the change was coming, and The Verge says she framed it as a push to make Xbox the company’s identity again. For players, that matters because this is more than a logo swap; Microsoft is signaling another reset for a brand that has spent years trying to explain what it actually is.
The change surfaced on Thursday, when The Verge reported that Sharma had told staff the Microsoft Gaming name was being scrapped. Kotaku also noted the shift, while Xbox later confirmed it on its official blog and shared a message from Sharma and chief content officer Matt Booty. The company did not give a release date, because this is a branding change rather than a product launch, but the timing still tells you plenty about where Xbox wants to go next. If you’ve followed the brand’s recent stumbles, this is the kind of move that can either sharpen the message or look like another coat of paint.
Why Microsoft Is Reverting to Xbox
Microsoft moved the Xbox division to Microsoft Gaming in 2022, around the time it named Phil Spencer CEO of the newly named division. That change landed as Microsoft pushed ahead with its plan to buy Activision Blizzard, a deal that took nearly two years and many court appearances before it finally wrapped up in October 2023. At the time, Microsoft wanted the new name to show that Xbox was growing beyond consoles. Now the company is reversing course, and that says a lot about how much the old Xbox identity still matters.
According to the report, Sharma told employees that “Xbox needs to be our identity,” and she described “Microsoft Gaming” as a departure. That is a blunt admission, and it cuts through the usual corporate fog. Microsoft spent years trying to broaden the brand, but the company now seems to think the simpler answer is the stronger one. For players, that could mean a clearer message about what Xbox stands for, even if the business behind it keeps changing shape.
Our best work happens when the full stack moves together. Microsoft Gaming describes our structure, but it does not describe our ambition. So, we are going back to where we started and changing our teamâs name. We are Xbox.