ID@Xbox Director Says XBOX is Preparing For its Next 25 Years, Not Going Through a “Midlife Crisis”

by

Guy Richards, who leads Microsoft’s independent games program ID@Xbox, says the recent changes at Xbox – including the new capitalization of the name to XBOX – aren’t a sign of a “midlife crisis.” Instead, he describes them as a moment of clarity. In an interview with GamesRadar at the Digital Dragons Conference 2026, Richards expressed confidence about the future of Xbox.

He predicted that the next two years will bring more transformation than the previous 25 years. Richard also mentioned that Xbox has many plans to mark its 25th anniversary as a gaming console platform throughout the year.

We’ve already shared some news, such as the return of our FanFest. We’re also working on a lot of exciting things for the summer and will share more details soon.

Richard explained that the celebrations won’t focus on Xbox’s history. Instead, the company wants to highlight its vision for the future and the next 25 years.

He explained that the gaming industry is evolving rapidly. Players are now using multiple devices and accessing games through various methods like free-to-play, paid downloads, and subscriptions, leading to changes in how games make money.

We’re committed to adapting to the changing needs of gamers and developers. Our goal is to ensure Xbox remains a fantastic platform for everyone.

Since Asha Sharma became CEO of Xbox, the company has announced several significant changes. These include lowering the price of Game Pass, which benefits players, and restructuring its leadership team. Earlier this month, Jared Palmer was appointed VP of Xbox Engineering, and Tim Allen became CVP of Xbox Design, as part of a broader series of appointments.

So, there’s been some shuffling around at Xbox! A few of the leaders who were already working on Xbox stuff are moving into different positions. For example, Jason Ronald, who used to be in charge of Xbox devices and gaming, is now heading up Project Helix and the overall Xbox platform. We’re also saying goodbye to Kevin Gammill, who was a big part of the gaming ecosystem team. And Roanne Sones, another important leader for Xbox devices and ecosystems, is taking a break for now, but she’ll be back as an advisor later on. It’s definitely a bit of a shake-up, but hopefully it’ll be a good thing for the future of Xbox!

In a recent announcement, Sharma explained that Xbox needs to improve its speed, strengthen its relationship with players and developers, and resolve issues that are causing frustration for both groups. She stated that the company has promoted leaders who have been instrumental in building Xbox, and also brought in fresh perspectives to help drive future progress. Sharma believes this combination of experience and new ideas is key to revitalizing the business.

We’re making some changes, which means we’ll be removing features that no longer fit our future plans. Specifically, we’re ending support for Copilot on mobile devices and will no longer be developing it for gaming consoles.

Read More

2026-05-19 16:44