Microsoft Gaming Enters New Chapter: Leadership Change, Price Hikes, and July Layoffs Signal Reset

Microsoft is restructuring its gaming division: Phil Spencer left in February, Game Pass Ultimate prices rose and lost Call of Duty day-one access in April, and layoffs arrive in July under new CEO Asha Sharma. The sequence suggests a deliberate shift from growth-focused spending to sustainable profits—a familiar post-acquisition pattern in tech as integration costs come due.