Former Blizzard President Believes That Xbox is Dead

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Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra recently shared his opinion on Microsoft’s Xbox strategy. He responded to a social media post discussing Sony’s success with the PS5 – which the company claims is its best-selling console in terms of sales and revenue – by stating that the console market can be profitable “if you do it right”.

I’ve been seeing a lot of discussion around a post by Ybarra, and it’s led to some of his followers really criticizing him. One person even went so far as to call him a bitter ex-employee, referencing his time at Blizzard. It’s pretty intense! Ybarra’s response was short and sweet – he just said “your console is dead,” which everyone is taking to mean the commenter probably has an Xbox. It’s a really blunt way to respond, and it’s definitely stirred things up even more! I wonder what prompted all this? You can find more about it here, if you’re curious.

I’ve been following Ybarra for a while now, and he’s never shy about sharing his thoughts on Microsoft’s moves. Just last month, he called out the price increases for the Xbox Series X/S. He basically said it wasn’t about the US tariffs on imported stuff, but purely a decision to boost profits. It’s interesting to hear someone from within the industry speak so frankly about these things, honestly.

Ybarra posted on social media, stating, “Console price increases aren’t due to tariffs; they’re about profits.” He further explained that the real reason profits are lower than expected is a much more significant problem than simply blaming tariffs.”

To strengthen his argument, Ybarra pointed out that tariffs haven’t increased since their initial implementation, but Microsoft has repeatedly raised the prices of its gaming consoles. He explained, “Claiming price hikes are due to tariffs when the tariffs themselves haven’t changed is a separate issue, and ultimately, consumers will bear the cost of that.”

Just a heads-up for anyone looking to snag an Xbox! The prices for the Xbox Series X/S are going up later this week, but it looks like this only affects the US market. Basically, everything is getting a little more expensive. The 512 GB Series S will now cost $399.99, and the 1 TB model jumps to $449.99. If you’re looking at the Series X, the Digital Edition will be $599.99, and the one with the disc drive will run you $649.99. And for those wanting the fancy version, the Xbox Series X 2 TB Galaxy Black Special Edition Console is going to be priced at $799.99. Definitely something to keep in mind if you’ve been saving up!

I’ve been hearing a lot about this, and it’s pretty interesting. Ybarra had been with Microsoft’s Xbox team for twenty years – that’s a long time! He announced he was leaving back in 2019 after working his way up to Xbox Corporate Vice President for Gaming. Then, not long after, he landed at Blizzard, first as an executive vice president and general manager, and eventually becoming their president. It’s been quite a career move for him!

Microsoft is preparing to release its portable gaming devices, created with Asus – the ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X. These handhelds have been available for pre-order in 38 countries, costing $599.99 and $999.99, respectively. Xbox shared last week that pre-orders are going strong, and their online store is already sold out.

Although both of these portable devices could be rather pricey, reports suggest that both Microsoft and Asus made significant efforts to lower the cost.

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2025-10-01 16:41