Asha Sharma Tells Xbox Staff the Brand Is Growing Again and Helix Is "a Family of Devices"

Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma told staff in an internal town hall that the brand has stopped declining and has "started to return to growth." The remarks, first reported by Windows Central on October 6 from a transcript it obtained, also confirmed that the next generation of Xbox hardware, known as Project Helix, will be a family of devices instead of a single console (Pure Xbox, Insider Gaming).

A claim of recovery

Sharma described the division as having hit an all-time low in the past year, with declines in hours spent, players and revenue at the start of the year. Kotaku quotes her as saying, "After an all-time low, we've started to return to growth, more than 2 to 3 times what we were." She credited "the right decisions to reinvest in the business," said the first-party segment had returned to growth, and said Xbox has stabilised in hours spent, with brand sentiment up 30 percent over the past year (Notebookcheck).

The figures are Sharma's own, given to employees, and the reports do not include the underlying data or say what "2 to 3 times" is measured against. They are the leadership's account, not audited results. She named Gears of War: E-Day, Minecraft Dungeons 2 and World of Warcraft: Forever as recent strong performers.

Topic	What Sharma said, per reports
Business trend	"Started to return to growth" after an all-time low; first-party growing
Engagement	Hours spent stabilised; sentiment up 30% in a year
Current consoles	Series X and S are core; continued investment
Next generation	Helix is a family of devices, including a major console
Game Pass	To become "more flexible for more players"
Long-term goal	A billion daily active people

What she said about the past

Windows Central reports that Sharma said Xbox had been in "freefall" because of the earlier Game Pass strategy, and Pure Xbox adds that she tied the freefall to the balance sheet. Both outlets describe it as a blunt assessment of a service the company had promoted for years.

Kotaku adds that content chief Matt Booty previously said the restructuring was only 75 percent complete, which means more job cuts remain ahead. That detail comes from earlier remarks, not from Sharma's town hall. The update lands amid a broader restructuring that has included a 20 percent workforce reduction, studio closures and divestitures (Digital Citizen).

Series X and S stay central

Sharma described Xbox Series X and S as core to the business and said the company needs to invest in them, including in cloud gaming, disc-to-digital and Play Anywhere. She laid out four pillars: core, content, creation and connection. Her stated ambition, according to Pure Xbox, is to reach a billion daily active people by focusing on fans and franchises, and she argued that Xbox cannot grow beyond consoles if it does not serve existing players well.

A leader telling staff that Series X and S are central does not guarantee new features, but it points to continued support.

Helix as a family of devices

On next-generation hardware, Sharma said Helix will be a family of devices and that a major console remains part of the plan, while acknowledging that many players want to play while travelling. Kotaku reports that the family will include first-party and third-party hardware, with Microsoft building some devices itself and partnering on others. She also acknowledged the importance of mobile gaming, according to Pure Xbox, and Kotaku says she described the unified operating system across these devices as looking "really good."

None of the reports gives a launch date, a price or a list of device types.

Game Pass and developers

Game Pass is set to become "more flexible for more players," though no tier structure or pricing has been detailed. Kotaku lists plans for Play Anywhere, disc-to-digital features, improved development tools and more flexible subscription options. Windows Central says Xbox is also simplifying developer APIs so games can target Series X and S, Helix and PC with less work.

What it means for players

For current players, nothing changes yet. No price, date or feature was announced, and anyone considering a console now has no reason to wait for Helix on the strength of these reports, because no hardware timeline has been given.

What to watch next

Watch for an official Xbox statement that repeats these claims in public with numbers behind them, for Game Pass changes, and for any Helix reveal.

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