Microsoft Loses Corporate VP and Xbox General Manager of Gaming AI

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Microsoft has seen a lot of changes recently. Following the announcements that Phil Spencer is retiring and Sarah Bond is leaving her role as Xbox president, two more leaders have departed: Lori Wright, who led partnerships, business development, and marketing, and Haiyan Zhang, who was Xbox’s general manager for gaming AI.

After ten years with the company, Wright hasn’t said what her next steps are, only expressing a desire for “beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and discovering what lies in the space in between.” According to The Verge’s Tom Warren, she reported directly to Bond, leading many to speculate if her leaving is connected to his own departure.

Zhang, a veteran executive, also announced she’s moving to Netflix to help grow their gaming division. When asked about her departure on Twitter, she jokingly replied, “It’s just a new job, you know? People change jobs.” She playfully addressed a comment about abandoning ship by saying, “Sometimes it’s simply about what I want.”

Since Asha Sharma became CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Xbox has been making some significant changes. A marketing campaign called “This is an Xbox,” which was likely led by Bond, has been removed from view. The company also unveiled the next Xbox, currently known as Project Helix. While official details about its capabilities are scarce (though rumors are circulating), Sharma has confirmed it will be able to play both Xbox and PC games. Developers will start receiving early test versions of the console, called alpha dev kits, next year.

We don’t have a confirmed release date yet, but the company is reportedly hoping to launch in 2027, depending on how well it integrates with Windows. While we wait, Microsoft will release Gaming Copilot on Xbox Series X/S later this year and bring Xbox Mode to Windows 11 in April.

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2026-03-22 21:12