Xbox's new chief executive Asha Sharma plans to speed up development of major franchises such as Halo and Fallout. Resources will be shifted from lower-performing areas while overall budgets stay flat. Microsoft leaders have approved the changes for the coming fiscal year.
Sharma intends to cut some studios and projects to focus investment on established series including Halo, Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. The move comes after Halo Infinite launched five years ago and this year's Halo: Campaign Evolved remake. The Elder Scrolls VI remains years away, with Fallout 5 expected later.
The 2027 fiscal year budget across Xbox will stay unchanged, though funds will be reallocated to shorten development times. Sharma also seeks greater investment in Minecraft. Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella and chief financial officer Amy Hood have endorsed the resource shifts that begin in July.
Nadella said Sharma will take a fresh look to meet fan expectations and turn the business sustainable. The steps may lead to layoffs at various studios, though further restructuring of Xbox remains possible.
