Xbox Says It’s Not in Crisis — It’s Rebuilding for the Next 25 Years
Xbox has been moving a bit sus lately — rebrands, leadership changes, Game Pass adjustments, and even pulling back on some Copilot plans. But according to ID@Xbox director Guy Richards, this is not some panic-button “midlife crisis” moment.
Speaking to GamesRadar at Digital Dragons Conference 2026, Richards framed the current Xbox/XBOX shake-up as the platform getting ready for what comes next. His big point: the next few years could change gaming more dramatically than the previous 25 years did.
That is a bold statement, but honestly, not a weird one. Look at how people in Malaysia and SEA play games now. One squadmate is on PC, another is on Xbox Game Pass, another is playing free-to-play on mobile, and someone else is streaming or jumping between devices. The old idea of “one console, one ecosystem” memang feels outdated already.
Xbox’s 25th anniversary is looking forward, not just backward
Richards said Xbox has a lot planned throughout the year for its 25th anniversary as a console platform. Some of that has already started, including the return of FanFest, with more announcements expected through the summer.
But don’t expect the whole celebration to be pure nostalgia bait. Richards made it clear that Xbox is less interested in only replaying the glory days and more focused on setting itself up for the next 25 years.
His reasoning is simple: player behaviour has changed. Gamers are moving across different devices, accessing games through different models, and mixing free-to-play, premium purchases, and subscriptions depending on what makes sense.
For SEA players, that lands hard. Console gaming here has always shared space with PC cafés, mobile esports, budget gaming laptops, and second-hand hardware markets. If Xbox wants to grow in this region, meeting players “where they are” matters more than just selling another box under the TV.
Microsoft is also reshuffling the Xbox leadership team
The comments come during a busy period for Xbox under new CEO Asha Sharma. The company has already made consumer-facing moves like reducing Game Pass pricing, while also making major internal leadership changes.
Earlier this month, Microsoft appointed Jared Palmer as VP of Xbox Engineering and Tim Allen as CVP of Xbox Design, alongside several other role changes. Jason Ronald, previously VP of Xbox gaming devices and ecosystems, is now accountable for Project Helix and the Xbox platform.
There are exits and pauses too. Kevin Gammill, formerly CVP of the gaming ecosystem organisation, has stepped down. Roanne Sones, CVP of Xbox devices and ecosystems, is taking a leave of absence and is expected to return as an advisor.
Sharma said Xbox needs to move faster, connect better with its community, and reduce friction for both players and developers. She also confirmed that Microsoft will begin retiring features that no longer fit the company’s direction, including winding down Copilot on mobile and stopping development of Copilot on console.
Why Malaysia and SEA should care
For Malaysian Xbox fans, the biggest thing to watch is whether all this change actually improves access. Cheaper Game Pass is a good start, but the real win would be better regional support, stronger PC integration, smoother cross-device play, and more reasons for developers — including SEA indie teams — to treat Xbox as a serious launch platform.
ID@Xbox is especially relevant here. Southeast Asia has no shortage of indie talent, but discoverability and platform support are always major hurdles. If Xbox genuinely becomes easier for developers to work with, that could mean more regional games finding an audience beyond Steam wishlists and convention booths.
So no, Xbox may not be having a crisis. But it is clearly in reset mode. The test now is whether this “next 25 years” vision becomes something players in Malaysia can actually feel — not just another corporate slogan with a new logo style.
Source: GamingBolt
