![[EXCLUSIVE] Dragon’s Dogma 2: Dark Arisen Team Opens Up About the Expansion’s Name, New Norgan Region, and Performance Goals](https://cdn.gamerbraves.com/2026/07/Dragons-Dogma-2-Dark-Arisen_Interview_FI-360x180.jpg)
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has said that becoming a strong platform requires exclusive content, as she continues to review how Microsoft handles its game exclusivity strategy. Speaking at a Bloomberg Live event on Thursday, Sharma was asked about her early lessons since taking charge of Microsoft’s gaming division and what direction Xbox is heading when it comes to exclusive titles.
“It’s a tough topic,” she said. “Look, we’re the number two publisher in the world and in order to be a great publisher, you must have your games reach large audiences to play. At the same time, we’re increasingly becoming a platform, and in order to become a platform, you must have exclusive content and services. And so, we’re looking at that very closely.”
Sharma had previously said Xbox would “reevaluate” its exclusivity approach, a statement that came after criticism from Xbox players who felt the platform had lost value. That criticism followed Microsoft’s decision to bring its first-party games to PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. She added that the team plans to be “very thoughtful about each title” and is looking at how similar situations have played out elsewhere in the industry.
The Bloomberg event also marked a milestone, as it fell around Sharma’s first 100 days as Xbox CEO, a role she took over from Phil Spencer earlier this year. She said those first 100 days would be hard to beat, pointing to several moves made under her watch, including a rebranding of Xbox to XBOX, cuts to Game Pass prices, and a turnaround in Game Pass subscriber numbers after an eight-month decline.
“We’ve done so much to start to revive Xbox,” she said. “We’ve shipped more in the last 100 days than we have in the last year. We’ve been able to reset Game Pass after an eight-month decline and it’s now returned to growth and expanding retention.”
Sharma also outlined what comes next. “In the next 100 days, we have to reset the business. We need to look at how we’re investing, how we’re prioritising, and change how we operate, in order to return to growth and be where the world plays.” Her stated long-term goal is to grow Xbox into the number one gaming and entertainment company.
Countdown to XBOX Games Showcase pic.twitter.com/i8RgCyOVgM
— ASHA (@asha_shar) May 22, 2026
Since stepping into the role, Sharma has also committed to acting on player feedback related to the console experience and various policies, including acknowledging that a past decision involving the PS5 logo on game packaging was “a miss.” Her first major event as CEO, the Xbox Games Showcase, is set to take place this Sunday, June 7, followed by a Gears of War E-Day Direct.
