Rumour: Xbox CEO Asha Sharma urges new IP rather than franchise dependence
The town hall reportedly also discussed studio restructuring and moving franchises such as Halo towards Activision.
This is a rumour attributed to the stated source. Its contents have not been verified as an official announcement.
According to Windows Central on 12 October 2026, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma told staff at a recent town hall to keep creating new intellectual properties instead of relying solely on established franchises. She reiterated ambitions to turn Fallout, Call of Duty and World of Warcraft into global multibillion-dollar brands while stressing new IP to reach new audiences.
She reportedly also hinted at further studio restructuring, referring to previously reported plans to place Halo and Sea of Thieves under Activision. No details of other changes were given. Her warning was against excessive dependence on established titles, encouraging new experiences to broaden Xbox’s audience.
A producer’s perspective
New IP and restructuring could mean reducing resources on current projects to fund new ones. The annual budget reallocated is not known, yet is essential to evaluating development-schedule impacts.
Source: Reddit GamingLeaksAndRumours.
The producer’s perspective is editorial interpretation.