Report: Xbox employees put at ease by Sarah Bond's departure from Microsoft

Microsoft's big executive shake-up may have improved morale behind the scenes as former Xbox president Sarah Bond resigns from the company.

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Xbox leadership has been swapped out, with Xbox CEO Phil Spencer retiring after 38 years with Microsoft. Another high-profile departure was that of Xbox president Sarah Bond, who resigned from her position. From the outside, Bond's resignation was a surprise, with many believing she would take over the reins after Phil Spencer retired.

New reports from behind the scenes say that Bond leaving the company has actually reassured Xbox employees. Sources tell The Verge's Tom Warren about the situation that led up to the change in ranks and how it has affected the people at Xbox. It's been revealed that Bond may have been in charge of the rather-disliked This is an Xbox marketing campaign, which led to push-back internally from developers and Xbox employees.

The report goes on to say that Bond wasn't easy to work with or to work for, and that employees were quick to be ousted if they didn't fit the vision that Microsoft had prescribed for Xbox--a vision that had been reinforced by her own planning and decision-making.

Microsoft's current business model has significantly jeopardized the adoption of its Xbox Series consoles by breaking exclusivity for good and all, leaving the system with no differentiation outside of Xbox Game Pass, which is only offered on Xbox consoles.

With Xbox now focusing on converting buyers into digital subscribers and cross-platform releases, Xbox Series console sales slowed, leading to a 12-year low in holiday console spending.

Xbox's new CEO, Asha Sharma, says that Microsoft is focused on the long-term vision for the Xbox brand. Sharma promises a return and revivification of consoles while also reinforcing the group's existing business strategies, including releases on PS5 and Switch and more subscription content.