Microsoft‘s new gaming CEO Asha Sharma has completed a second Xbox rebrand within weeks of taking the role, changing the name from “Xbox” to the all-caps “XBOX” after a fan poll on her X account received more than 19,000 responses.
Sharma posted the poll earlier this week, asking followers whether Microsoft’s gaming division should go by “Xbox” or “XBOX.” The all-caps version won with 64% of the vote. Sharma followed through the same day, sharing an image of the official Xbox account already updated to the new name.
A second Xbox rebrand in as many weeks
The XBOX name is the second brand change Sharma has made since stepping into the role. In April, she reversed an earlier decision and dropped “Microsoft Gaming,” returning the division to simply “Xbox.” That change also came with a visual update: the logo was switched back to its classic green color.
In a note credited to the Xbox leadership team, Sharma explained the thinking behind the April decision. “Our best work happens when the full stack moves together,” she wrote. “Microsoft Gaming describes our structure but it does not describe our ambition. So, we are going back to where we started and changing our team’s name.”
Microsoft Gaming had been the official designation for the division following an earlier restructuring. Sharma’s stated reasoning was that the name described the corporate structure rather than the division’s ambition, and that returning to Xbox meant going back to the brand’s origins.
Exclusivity and player feedback under Sharma
Since replacing Phil Spencer earlier this year, Sharma has made responsiveness to player feedback a stated priority. She has committed to acting on input around the console experience and to revisiting platform policies that drew criticism under the previous leadership.
One of those areas is exclusivity. Sharma has said Xbox will “reevaluate” its approach to first-party games, a direct response to players who feel the platform has lost value since Microsoft began releasing its games on PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch 2. She has not confirmed any specific policy change but has made clear the approach is under review.
The move to put first-party games on rival consoles was one of the more contentious decisions of the Spencer era, and it left some Xbox owners questioning what the platform offered that others did not. Sharma’s comments on exclusivity are the most direct signal she has given on the topic.
The XBOX rebrand follows the same approach as the April change: Sharma polled her audience, acted on the result, and cited player feedback as the reason. The all-caps format is now live on the official X account. Whether it extends to packaging, software interfaces, and wider official materials is not yet confirmed.