Microsoft Gaming Name Dropped As Xbox Tries To Find Its Identity Again
Xbox is changing names again, bro. After a few years operating under the broader Microsoft Gaming label, Microsoft’s games division is now going back to being called simply Xbox.
According to Kotaku, the move was announced during an Xbox all-hands meeting by newly appointed CEO Asha Sharma. Microsoft later confirmed the rebrand through an official Xbox blog post, sharing an internal message from Sharma and chief content officer Matt Booty.
The basic message: “Microsoft Gaming” may describe the company’s structure, but it does not capture what the team wants to be. So the division is returning to its original identity — Xbox.
Why the name change matters
On paper, this sounds like corporate branding stuff. But for Xbox, the timing is important.
Microsoft renamed the division to Microsoft Gaming in 2022, around the same period Phil Spencer became CEO of that newly named group. That was also when Microsoft was pushing hard to buy Activision Blizzard, a giant deal that only closed in October 2023 after a long court-heavy process.
Back then, the “Microsoft Gaming” name made sense strategically. Xbox was no longer just a console box under your TV. It was Game Pass, PC, cloud gaming, Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, mobile ambitions, and a wider gaming ecosystem.
Now, Sharma appears to be steering the brand back toward something simpler and more recognisable. The Verge reported that she told staff Xbox needs to be the identity again, as part of a wider effort to repair and refresh the brand.
That repair job is not small. Xbox has been under pressure from several angles: expensive hardware, weaker console sales, confusion around exclusives, and criticism over Microsoft’s continued involvement with Israel amid the war against Palestine.
SEA players should watch this closely
For Malaysia and Southeast Asia, Xbox has always been in a weird position. PlayStation dominates the console conversation here, Nintendo has strong lifestyle appeal, and PC/mobile gaming are massive. Xbox, meanwhile, often feels more visible through Game Pass for PC than through actual Xbox consoles in local homes.
So if this “return to Xbox” is just a logo refresh, then okay lah, not a huge deal. But if it signals a sharper strategy around first-party games, exclusives, Game Pass, and hardware, SEA players could feel the impact.
For example, if Xbox really does lean back into exclusives, Malaysian players may have to think harder about where they play future Bethesda, Activision, or Xbox Game Studios titles. PC gamers here are probably safer because Microsoft still treats Windows as a major gaming platform. Console players, though, may be watching to see whether Xbox hardware becomes more worth buying — especially when local prices can be painful compared to our average gaming budget.
There is also the Game Pass angle. In Malaysia, Game Pass has been one of Xbox’s strongest selling points because it lowers the upfront cost of trying big games. If the company’s reset leads to clearer day-one releases and fewer mixed messages, that would be good news for players who want value without buying every RM200-RM300 title individually.
New logo, same old question
The Verge also reported that Xbox has been testing a new logo, while slogans like “return to Xbox,” “Great Games,” and “Future of Play” have appeared around the company’s office.
That sounds motivational, but Xbox’s real challenge is execution. Gamers do not need more vague slogans. They need a clear reason to care: strong games, fair pricing, consistent platform support, and less confusion about what is exclusive, what is coming to Game Pass, and what Xbox actually stands for.
The name “Xbox” still has power. The question now is whether Sharma’s version of Xbox can make that name feel exciting again — not just in the US, but for players in Malaysia and across SEA who are deciding where their next few years of gaming money should go.
Source: Kotaku
