Microsoft Rebrands Gaming Division Following Activision Blizzard Acquisition in 2022

Microsoft has officially retired the Microsoft Gaming brand and reverted to the Xbox name for its video game division, four years after the rebrand was introduced in conjunction with the Activision Blizzard acquisition.

The change was announced by Xbox CEO Asha Sharma during an internal town hall, as reported by multiple sources including a verified post on X (formerly Twitter) from Pirat_Nation on April 23, 2026. Microsoft confirmed that the division will now operate solely under the Xbox brand, ending the Microsoft Gaming nomenclature that had been in place since January 18, 2022.

Microsoft Gaming was established on January 18, 2022, the same day Microsoft announced its intent to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. The division was created to unify all of Microsoft’s gaming groups under a single organization, including Xbox hardware, Xbox operations, and game development studios. As stated in the Xbox division’s Wikipedia page, Microsoft Gaming was formed specifically to support the planned acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

The acquisition of Activision Blizzard was completed on October 13, 2023, with a final cost of $75.4 billion, making it the largest video game acquisition in history by transaction value. Following the completion of the deal, Activision Blizzard was integrated into the Microsoft Gaming division as a sibling to Xbox Game Studios and ZeniMax Media.

With the Activision Blizzard acquisition finalized in 2023, Microsoft became one of the largest gaming companies globally, ranking third by revenue and first by employment in the industry. As of 2024, the Xbox division reported 20,100 employees and generated $23.5 billion in revenue in 2025, according to its official Wikipedia profile.

The division oversees five core publishing labels: Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda Softworks (as publisher of ZeniMax Media), Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, and King. These entities collectively manage major franchises such as Call of Duty, Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and Candy Crush.

Microsoft’s decision to drop the Microsoft Gaming name and return to the Xbox brand aligns with its long-standing identity in the gaming market. The Xbox name has been associated with Microsoft’s gaming hardware and services since the launch of the original Xbox console in 2001. The rebrand reversal simplifies the division’s public-facing identity while maintaining its internal structure and operational scope.

As of April 23, 2026, the Xbox division continues to be led by Asha Sharma as Executive Vice President and CEO, with Matt Booty serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer. The division remains headquartered at One Microsoft Way in Redmond, Washington, and serves a global audience of over 500 million monthly active players across all platforms.