Sarah
Bond

Launched in 2017, Xbox Game Pass became a subscription boon for Xbox that Sony Interactive Entertainment continues trying to match, making Bond’s leadership over how gamers access Xbox content essential. As of October, an internal reorg has put her in charge of the entire Xbox brand, overseeing devices, experiences for players and creators alike, platform and hardware engineering, data and analytics and further business development as the current Xbox Series era of the console nears its halfway point. Leaked documents from Microsoft’s skirmish with the FTC over its acquisition of Activision Blizzard revealed plans for a “full convergence” of cloud gaming and physical hardware through its next console targeting 2028. Xbox Cloud Gaming is currently available at the highest tier of Xbox Game Pass, a robust subscription offering with over 25 million subscribers whose heavy licensing fees and impact on reduced game sales should be offset by the revenue brought in by Activision Blizzard going forward.