Reaction: Xbox's Push Towards 'Microsoft Gaming' Looks More Drastic Than We First Thought

It's been a wild few years over at Team Xbox, with the brand being marked by vast change since the launch of Xbox Series X and S back in late 2020 - which is starting to feel like a lifetime ago now. Huge acquisitions like that of both Bethesda and Activision Blizzard have massively changed how the team now operates, and in fact, after today's news those changes are looking more and more drastic by the day.

Whichever way you slice it, Xbox is changing, and recent restructuring efforts on the leadership team further enhance that feeling. 'Microsoft Gaming' looks like the end goal nowadays, with Xbox as a brand feeling like it's taking a bit of a back seat to the 'bigger picture' over at Microsoft. But, what does that really mean? And should we be bothered if Microsoft Gaming becomes the new 'Xbox'?

Truth be told, only internally does Microsoft really know where it's going with its newly-heavyweight gaming train. What it looks like from the outside is the company gobbling up as much IP as it possibly can to remain competitive in the market - a market it's now changing by bringing games to other platforms and getting a hefty cut while doing so. Having big franchises and making as much money as possible is hardly a new concept here, but the news of more and more layoffs and studio closures makes Microsoft's gaming efforts feel like 'profit at whatever cost' these days.