This may have been the reason behind Xbox’s former President Sarah Bond’s resignation

Former Xbox president Sarah Bond appears to have taken the fall for a multiplatform strategy that was "failing internally," according to a report from The Verge—shedding new light on why she exited Microsoft alongside longtime gaming chief Phil Spencer last week.

Bond, who was widely seen as Spencer's successor, didn't get the top job. Instead, Microsoft handed the CEO of Microsoft Gaming role to Asha Sharma, a former CoreAI executive with no gaming background. And unlike Spencer, who got a warm send-off across multiple corporate memos, Bond wasn't even mentioned by CEO Satya Nadella, Sharma, or newly promoted EVP Matt Booty in their internal communications.Her own farewell note to staff didn't land until hours after the announcement—a sign, per The Verge, of just how chaotic the rollout became after the news leaked days ahead of schedule.

Bond's 'This is an Xbox' push reportedly rubbed employees the wrong way

At the centre of Bond's troubles was the "This is an Xbox" marketing campaign—a push to redefine Xbox beyond console hardware by positioning phones, tablets, and TVs as Xbox devices. The Verge reports that the campaign "offended many Xbox employees internally" and was part of a broader strategy that had been questioned repeatedly within the company.Bond had also announced an Xbox mobile gaming store at the Bloomberg Technology Summit in mid-2024, promising a July launch.

Nearly two years later, the store still doesn't exist.Meanwhile, Xbox hardware revenue has declined for three straight fiscal years under her watch. The multiplatform vision she championed—playing Xbox everywhere except, apparently, on an actual Xbox—didn't translate into growth.

Most employees were 'relieved' by her departure, report claims

The Verge, citing over a dozen current and former Microsoft employees, reports that most were "relieved" Bond was leaving. Multiple sources described her as tough to work with, alleging she built a team culture where questioning the strategy meant being pushed out.

Her ability to forge partnerships with developers and external companies, however, earned praise.What makes the whole situation a bit awkward is that Bond was executing this strategy under Spencer's leadership. Yet Spencer walked away with a dignified retirement narrative and public gratitude, while Bond bore the sharper end of internal frustration.New CEO Asha Sharma has already promised "the return of Xbox" and a renewed focus on console—a clear signal that the previous direction wasn't cutting it. Whether Sharma, who openly admits she's not a gamer, can actually pull off a turnaround is another question entirely.