Leak reveals new Xbox Game Pass ‘Starter Edition’ that’s part of Discord Nitro
Leak reveals new Xbox Game Pass ‘Starter Edition’ that’s part of Discord Nitro

Microsoft started teasing a mysterious Discord and Xbox Game Pass partnership yesterday, and a new leak appears to have detailed exactly what’s coming. Discord Previews has uncovered a new Xbox Game Pass “Starter Edition” that is bundled with Discord Nitro. The Starter Edition reportedly includes “access to over 50 games from the Game Pass library,” […]

Microsoft Gaming is dead, long live Xbox

Microsoft drops the “Microsoft Gaming” name and rebrands back to Xbox, signaling a renewed focus on player engagement, hardware, and a unified gaming ecosystem.

‘We Are Xbox’: read the memo defining Microsoft’s gaming future
‘We Are Xbox’: read the memo defining Microsoft’s gaming future

Microsoft’s new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has laid out a new strategy for what she describes as a “return of Xbox.” In a joint memo with Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty, Sharma and Booty lay out their vision for the future of Xbox that will be judged on daily active players and the priorities […]

Microsoft’s new Xbox chief is ‘reevaluating’ exclusive games
Microsoft’s new Xbox chief is ‘reevaluating’ exclusive games

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma held an all-hands meeting this morning and laid out her strategy for a “return of Xbox” with employees. While rebranding Microsoft Gaming back to Xbox was part of the agenda, Sharma also revealed that Xbox is looking into “reevaluating” Xbox exclusive games and windowed releases of titles. It’s a hot topic […]

Microsoft offers voluntary retirement to 7% of US workers in first-ever buyout programme amid $80B AI spending push
Microsoft offers voluntary retirement to 7% of US workers in first-ever buyout programme amid $80B AI spending push

Summary: Microsoft is offering voluntary retirement to approximately 7% of its US workforce (~8,750 of 125,000 employees) in the first such programme in its 51-year history, using a “Rule of 70” formula (age + years of service). The offer, disclosed by…

Microsoft brings Xbox back, scraps Microsoft Gaming
Microsoft brings Xbox back, scraps Microsoft Gaming

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has had a busy week. Sharma held an internal town hall with Xbox employees today, just days after announcing an Xbox Game Pass price cut, commenting on the status of the Xbox mobile store, and teasing a mysterious Xbox and Discord partnership. One of the items on the agenda for the […]

Microsoft Copilot can now do actual work inside your Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files

Copilot’s new Agent Mode can draft and restructure Word documents, build formulas and tables in Excel, and update PowerPoint decks, all in real time.

Microsoft offers buyout for up to 7% of U.S. employees

If a worker’s years of service at Microsoft plus their age equals 70 or more, they will be eligible for a voluntary retirement buyout.

Inside Microsoft’s wave of executive departures
Inside Microsoft’s wave of executive departures

It feels like not a week has gone by this year without a senior Microsoft executive leaving the company. Some departures have triggered sweeping shakeups of Microsoft’s biggest businesses, while others have seen fresh faces replace veteran employees. Executive departures at Microsoft are nothing new, but the pace feels notable this early in the year. […]

Microsoft offers voluntary retirement to long-serving employees
Microsoft offers voluntary retirement to long-serving employees

Microsoft is changing up its annual rewards and performance programs today, and offering long-serving employees in the US the ability to voluntarily retire. It’s the first time in Microsoft’s more than 50-year history that the company has offered such a voluntary retirement program. “Many of these employees have spent years, and in some cases, decades, […]