XBOX has had a busy few months. Since Asha Sharma began her role as CEO of Microsoft Gaming on February 20, 2026, the brand has undergone a visible strategic reset, from leadership changes to a renewed emphasis on the XBOX name itself.
The developments that followed have generated plenty of headlines. Sharma has reportedly retired the “This is an XBOX” campaign as part of a broader brand reset, reduced Game Pass prices, and indicated that XBOX is reassessing the role of exclusivity in its first-party strategy. More recently, the brand rebranded to XBOX from Xbox and Microsoft then launched XBOX Player Voice – a portal meant for fan feedback. Sharma has also brought in gaming analyst Matthew Ball as XBOX’s Chief Strategy Officer, alongside other senior leadership changes.
To understand how these strategic shifts might be playing out, we looked at brand perception among U.S. gamers using YouGov BrandIndex data. Gamers are defined here as those who play on PC or console for at least one hour per week.
XBOX’s brand strategy shifts are gaining traction with U.S. gamers
Buzz score, which is a net measure of whether consumers are hearing positive or negative things about a brand, helps us gauge whether XBOX’s recent headlines are landing with this core audience.
Among U.S. gamers, XBOX’s Buzz score has risen sharply since Sharma took over, climbing from 8.5 points on February 20, 2026, to 20 points on May 20. The increase was not entirely linear, but the direction of travel is clear. Buzz moved into double digits by late February, remained elevated through March and April, and reached a high of 21.8 on May 16 before settling slightly lower by May 20.