A new rumor claims Phil Spencer’s exit from the top of Xbox happened earlier than intended, raising fresh questions about Microsoft’s leadership shuffle and what it could mean for the brand’s next phase.
Phil Spencer’s departure dominated industry chatter over the weekend, with speculation flying in every direction. Stories ranged from talk of retirement to Sarah Bond’s sudden exit, alongside questions about who is now steering Xbox. But the narrative gets messier: Greg Miller of Kinda Funny Games says Spencer didn’t plan to leave on this timeline, suggesting the change landed sooner than expected.
On Kinda Funny Games Daily, Parris Lilly argued that Spencer stepping away after the launch of the next-generation Xbox would have been the clean, logical endpoint. If that was the intended arc, then leaving beforehand implies unfinished business – and, potentially, a shift inside Microsoft that pulled the rug out from under the original plan. Miller joined the discussion and broadly backed that idea, framing the timing as the most suspicious part of the story.
That timing also collides with growing concern over whether Xbox will ship another console at all – and if it does, when. 2027 is the date most often floated, but even Microsoft’s direction has been described as uncertain. If Spencer is out before the next hardware cycle crystallizes, it opens the door to a more dramatic interpretation: internal changes could be significant enough to alter, delay, or even derail major projects.
Miller’s blunt takeaway is that Microsoft lacks a coherent Xbox vision, and that this is the root problem. While he said he couldn’t publicly share sources, he claimed Spencer’s February departure wasn’t planned – and that the handover effectively happens “now.” At the same time, Sarah Bond is also gone, and Spencer’s successor, Asha Sharma, has surfaced with striking speed.
Whether this was a long-telegraphed transfer of power involving Matt Booty and Sharma, or a sudden strategic pivot, remains unclear. What feels increasingly plausible is that the most recognizable face of Xbox did not intend to exit the stage quite this soon.
Source: TheGamer
