Matthew Ball Joins Xbox to Revive Franchises, Boost Consoles

Matthew Ball has joined Xbox as chief strategy officer. His remit covers setting strategy for console operations and guiding the company’s approach to its game catalog. Ball said he will prioritize reviving legacy franchises and work to increase the number of players and total player hours, which he described as areas where Xbox has underperformed in recent quarters.

Ball described consoles as “important, durable and still growing” and said part of his role will be to strengthen that side of the business. He also spoke about expanding collaborative and creative play: “I’m very focused on this question of how games can – where appropriate; it’s not suitable for all titles – find better and bigger ways to explore, create, co-create and build together.”

Ball referenced his personal history with Xbox games, noting “thousands of memories in specific basements playing Halo, playing Gears of War.” He recounted being asked to join by Asha Sharma, a senior Xbox executive: “When [Asha Sharma] asked if I wanted to be a part of a turnaround, it was irresistible.”

He is known for his work as a gaming industry analyst and for a 167-slide presentation titled “The State of Video Gaming in 2026.” Ball described recent financial quarters for Xbox as “largely disappointing” and said his role will include efforts to improve commercial performance and player engagement.

Xbox has not provided details about which franchises may be revived, the timeline for any restorations, or how Ball’s strategic initiatives will be implemented across first-party studios and hardware teams.