Microsoft Names Matthew Ball CSO, Scott Van Vliet CTO for Xbox

Microsoft named Matthew Ball as Chief Strategy Officer for Xbox and Scott Van Vliet as Chief Technology Officer, the company announced today as part of an internal reshuffle at Xbox headquarters. The appointments are focused on the console business as Xbox prepares for the Xbox Games Showcase next month and continues work on Project Helix.

Ball will lead console strategy for Xbox Series X|S and long-term platform planning. He is an industry analyst who produces the annual “The State of Video Gaming” report and joins Xbox to apply market and consumer research to platform strategy and planning.

Van Vliet will oversee technical processes and product engineering practices as chief technology officer. His responsibilities include improving how Xbox builds products, accelerating development cycles and enhancing engineering outcomes across development teams.

The reshuffle also promoted Chris Schnakenberg to Vice President, Partnerships & Business Development. The company framed the changes as an effort to create clearer roles and improve execution across Xbox teams.

Asha Sharma, head of Xbox, commented: “These changes are about strengthening our foundation by creating more clarity and improving execution. As we head toward Showcase and beyond, we’ll continue making the changes needed to position XBOX for the future.”

Microsoft has increased its management focus on console operations in 2026 while balancing support for current Xbox Series X|S consoles with planning for future hardware and platform work tied to Project Helix. The two hires are intended to align strategic planning with technical delivery as the company moves toward upcoming product and platform milestones.