Asha Sharma and Matt Booty had already made it clear to us: the future of XBOX promises to be full of substantial changes, both creatively and structurally. A new report from The Information website now suggests that Microsoft's gaming division is preparing to invest massively in its most important intellectual properties, without ruling out corporate upheavals.

On the purely recreational front, according to the report, the new management would intend to accelerate the development of new chapters related to the most beloved sagas, experiences that we will certainly have to face in the coming years. The site says that Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella, and Chief Financial Officer, Amy Hood, have already given the green light to an increase in budgets for high-end titles for the next fiscal year, which will begin in July, although the exact figures have yet to be worked out in detail. The top priorities for the new leadership seem to be the worlds of Fallout and The Elder Scrolls, which is flanked by the return of Halo in style. The goal is clear: to concentrate resources on the backbones of the ecosystem to ensure high-profile production.

After Phil Spencer's retirement and the subsequent resignation of Sarah Bond, Asha Sharma took on the role of CEO of the brand. The first months of his management were characterized by strong momentum and an openness to community feedback, but now he is faced with complex choices to ensure the strength of the brand. And according to the site's informants, Microsoft is considering a reorganization of the entire division or even the possibility of spinning it off, turning it into a wholly owned subsidiary, exactly as is already the case for LinkedIn and GitHub, even if these cases are not the result of spin-offs, but of acquisitions by external companies. This move could aim to make the business more profitable, facilitate a possible sale or pave the way for joint ventures with external partners.

However, this transition to a leaner, more focused model will also require sacrifices. It has already been anticipated that in July there will be a sharp cut in staff and perhaps even the closure of studios, a direct consequence of the reorganization underway.

Despite the difficulties of the moment, however, the strategy of focusing on big brands and rethinking the corporate structure demonstrates the desire to ferry the brand into a new era, trying to balance creative ambitions with long-term economic sustainability. We can only hope that everything will be conducted in the best possible way!