Xbox introduces new division called "XP" to expand the Xbox brand
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Xbox introduces new division called "XP" to expand the Xbox brand
With Asha Sharma becoming the CEO of Xbox several months ago, this has brought new changes and updates to the company. One of the new additions is a new division called "XP", which has the sole purpose of becoming the top entertainment company by extending its existing franchises in several new directions.
Updated 2026-10-13
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Over the past couple of months, Xbox has made noticeable changes to both its pricing and studio management. These developments began on April 23, 2026, when Asha Sharma was appointed CEO of Xbox, replacing Phil Spencer. Thus far, many of these changes have improved the company's reputation, such as reducing the price of its "Ultimate Game Pass" from $29.99 USD to $22.99 USD. Before this price update, players were starting to lose faith in Xbox due to the incremental increase in price for all of their products. Additionally, they would add a new feature called "Disc to Digital" in late August 2026, where specific Xbox Discs can be inserted into players' Xbox Consoles and players could claim a digital license of their physical game for free. These implementations alone would drastically course-correct the public perception of Xbox, giving players hope for the future of Xbox.
Credit:Game News Plus
The Birth of 'XP' Division
Fast forward to October 2026, and the current ambition that Xbox is seeking revolves around growing the brand as a whole, outside of just physically playing their games. The approach for this expansion is a new division led by President Kayleen Walters called "XP", which plays on the term "Experience Points" and explores other investments they can experiment with (Asha, 2026). In the XP Division, there are four major areas they plan to invest in: 'XBOX PICTURES', 'XBOX PRODUCTS', 'XBOX PLACES', and 'XBOX PARTNERSHIPS'.XBOX PICTURES: This area plans to focus on film/television approaches to media to attract a wider audience. A similar approach can be seen with Sony and their adaptation of "The Last of Us" television show, which did bring in new viewers to the franchise by watching those episodes. Even if they are not familiar with the game material, the TV show allowed a casual audience to absorb the material.XBOX PRODUCTS: This area will prioritize creating new products and items themed around well-known Xbox franchises, such as 'Gears of War', 'Halo', and products themed around upcoming Xbox-exclusive titles like 'Clockwork Revolution'. The quality of each product release and its impressions from the players are in the hands of Xbox.XBOX PLACES: This area will have a heavy emphasis on planning live events and attractions for large community events, such as the 'Xbox Games Showcase', which displays upcoming titles planned for release or are in active development. This also refers to, as described in their article, "attractions" and "destinations", meaning there could be special in-person events attached to specific video games or movies associated with the Xbox brand.XBOX PARTNERSHIPS: This area is intended to work directly with the community, specifically with their creators and brands through sponserships/partnerships. Some of these planned sponsors can be seen in some televised shows like "WWE" during their PPV (pay-per-view) event called "SummerSlam", with the 'Gears of War: E-Day' logo printed in the middle of the ring. Depending on the specific brands/venues Xbox decides to collaborate with, it could lead to viewers becoming interested in the brand and gaining interest in its products.
Picture of 'Gear of War: E-Day' logo on "SummerSlam" WWE Ring
Credit: Xbox Wire
Who is Kayleen Walters?
With the introduction of a new division comes a required President of that division, which was decided to be led by Kayleen Walters. Before Kayleen took this position at Xbox, she started her work with 'Lucasfilms' in 2004 and worked with the company for over thirteen years, slowly building up her reputation within the company from "Marketing Manager" to "Vice President, Franchise Marketing". In June 2018, she would be officially hired by Microsoft, starting as a Partner, eventually reaching a similar position as VP of "Franchise Development".
Picture of Kayleen Walters
Credit: XBOX Wire
Around February 2025, Kayleen would take up the position of President of Mojang Studios and would also be the Executive Producer of the wildly popular film "A Minecraft Movie", as well as a producer for the upcoming sequel to the Minecraft-centered film. When deciding on the best selection to be the President of 'XP', Xbox had seen Kayleen's history over the past two decades and chose her as the best candidate to lead the Xbox industry in the right direction.
Who's the current President of Mojang?
Now that Kayleen Walters has taken up the position as the current President of XP, Mojang is left to decide who can carry on the work that Kayleen had provided to Mojang. After some deliberation, they decided to select Maria Angelidou-Smith as the CEO of Mojang and Minecraft, who will start her new position on October 19th of this year.
Picture of Maria Angelidou-Smith
Credit: XBOX Wire
Before she was hired for this position, she was hired by 'Facebook' in 2014 and worked as the VP of "Facebook App Monetization" for five years. By 2019, she transferred to 'Meta', where she became the General Manager of "Product & Head of Communities at Facebook", which had the responsibility of managing Facebook Communities and hosting events. By 2022, Maria took up the role of "Chief Product & Technology Officer" for 'Personio', creating and building organizations to expand the platform. Due to these factors, Mojang believed Maria would be perfect for Mojang and help expand the aspect of community within Minecraft.
After Phil Spencer retired from Xbox, the company has made a lot of drastic decisions, which have led to mixed reactions from its player base. One half of the community is excited to see the decrease in their Game Pass and the newly implemented "Disc to Digital. Meanwhile, the other half of the community is still doubtful about these initial changes, mainly interested in seeing how Asha Sharma treats the Xbox brand in the years to come. All that's left to do is wait and see how Xbox expands with this new "XP" division, along with future projects to come.