Xbox CEO Says Growth Is Back After 'All Time Low'

Ever feel like your favorite gaming brand is on life support? That's been the vibe around Xbox lately, but CEO Asha Sharma says things are finally looking up.

During a town hall meeting today, Sharma addressed staff to reassure them after a brutal stretch of mass layoffs and studio closures tied to a business "reset." According to Windows Central, she told employees Xbox is "making the right decisions" and that "after an all time low, we've started to return to growth." She didn't share any hard numbers, though.

Sharma also claimed that recent releases Gears of War: E-Day, Minecraft Dungeons 2, and World of Warcraft: Forever had "strong" starts. Again, no specifics. She went on to say, "We've started to return to growth, more than 2 to 3 times what we were, and we expect that continue." What does "2 to 3 times" actually mean? Your guess is as good as ours, because she didn't explain.

On the hardware front, Sharma confirmed that Xbox's "Gen-10" platform—aka Project Helix—will be a "family of devices" because "there is no one device that fits all." She stressed the importance of a "great console first," but said there will also be options for players who are "on the go." Microsoft will manufacture some devices, while partners will handle others. "So, we will be sharing more about that as our plans develop. The operating system is starting to look really good. We're very excited about this," she said.

That's about all we got on the next console or handheld. They're in the works, but the timing is rough—AI-driven demand for memory and components is squeezing supply, and global economic factors like rising oil prices and the Federal Reserve's recent rate hike are making borrowing more expensive across the board, gaming included.

Meanwhile, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has praised Sharma for making deep cuts at Xbox. So far that's meant 1,600 layoffs in July, close to 300 more in September, and more job losses on the way. Microsoft also closed or divested studios including Double Fine and Ninja Theory. Some wondered if Sharma was streamlining Xbox to make it attractive to a buyer, but she recently insisted Xbox is not for sale. Plenty of people don't believe her, pointing to her own comment that "the plan's the plan until it's not the plan."

Beyond the layoffs, Sharma oversaw a massive restructuring that saw Activision take over the Halo series and Bethesda's remit expand to cover Obsidian. It's a lot of change, and players are right to be skeptical when the CEO talks growth without evidence. What do you think—is Xbox actually turning things around, or is this just corporate spin?