Xbox may be heading into a very different era under new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma. After years of mixed messaging around exclusives, Game Pass, hardware, and multiplatform releases, Sharma has now made it clear that her goal is much bigger than simply maintaining Xbox as a major player in gaming.
According to recent comments from Sharma, she wants Xbox to become the “number one gaming and entertainment company” by 2030. That statement alone would already be enough to grab attention, but it comes at a very interesting time. Industry insider Jeff Grubb has also claimed that Gears of War: E-Day was previously planned for PS5, but that is reportedly no longer the case.
Asha Sharma Sets a Massive Goal for Xbox by 2030
Asha Sharma recently said that her mandate is not simply about chasing a 30% accountability margin. Instead, she wants Xbox to become the number one gaming and entertainment company by 2030.
Microsoft has spent billions acquiring studios and publishers, including Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, but Xbox hardware has struggled to keep pace with PlayStation and Nintendo. Game Pass remains one of the most important services in gaming, but the broader Xbox identity has often felt unclear.
Sharma’s comments suggest that Microsoft knows Xbox needs a reset. The company has massive franchises, a huge subscription service, PC reach, cloud technology, and some of the biggest gaming IPs in the world. The problem has been turning all of that into a clear reason for players to choose Xbox as their main platform.
Xbox Exclusives Could Be Making a Comeback
The most interesting part of this story is not just the 2030 goal. It is Sharma’s comments about exclusives.
She reportedly acknowledged that successful platforms need exclusive content and services. That is a major statement after Xbox spent years pushing the idea that players should be able to access its games almost anywhere.
Games like Sea of Thieves, Hi-Fi Rush, Pentiment, and Grounded, reaching more platforms, helped Microsoft sell more copies outside its own ecosystem. But it also created a big question for Xbox players. If every major Xbox game eventually comes to PlayStation, what exactly makes Xbox hardware special?
Gears of War: E-Day Reportedly No Longer Coming to PS5
According to Jeff Grubb, Gears of War: E-Day was previously going to be released on PS5, but that plan has reportedly changed.
Grubb claimed that the game “was going to be on PS5” and that “it’s not anymore.” While Microsoft has not officially confirmed this change, the claim has already sparked a lot of discussion because it lines up with the broader shift in Xbox’s messaging.
Gears of War is one of Xbox’s most iconic franchises. Even with the series appearing on PC, it has always been closely tied to Xbox’s brand identity. If Microsoft decides to keep Gears of War: E-Day away from PS5, it would send a pretty clear message that not every Xbox first-party game is guaranteed to go multiplatform.
Xbox going back to some level of exclusivity is probably the right move.
PlayStation has The Last of Us, God of War, Spider-Man, and Ghost of Tsushima. Nintendo has Mario, Zelda, Pokémon, and Metroid. Xbox has Halo, Forza, Fable, Gears of War, DOOM, Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and many more. The problem is that Xbox has not always used those franchises to make the platform feel essential.
Gears of War: E-Day is the perfect game to test a more focused exclusivity strategy. It is not just another spin-off or smaller release. It is a major prequel that brings back Marcus Fenix and Dom Santiago, two of the most recognizable characters in the franchise. It also returns to the horror-inspired tone of the original Gears of War, which longtime fans have been asking for.
If Xbox wants players to take its hardware and ecosystem seriously again, E-Day is exactly the kind of game that should feel like a major Xbox moment.
Xbox Still Has to Balance Reach and Platform Identity
The challenge for Microsoft is that Xbox is no longer just a console business. It is a publisher, a subscription service, a PC storefront, a cloud platform, and a console ecosystem all at once.
The best path forward may be a hybrid model. Massive service-driven franchises like Call of Duty and Minecraft can stay multiplatform because their value comes from scale. Smaller titles can also reach more platforms when it makes sense. But flagship Xbox franchises like Gears of War, Halo, Fable, and Forza may need a stronger platform association if Microsoft wants Xbox to stand for something again.
Asha Sharma’s goal to make Xbox the number one gaming and entertainment company by 2030 is ambitious, but it also feels like the kind of ambition Xbox needs right now.
