On Thursday, October 8, 2026, Xbox formalized the XP division, a unit dedicated to taking the brand's franchises beyond video games. Matthew Ball, Xbox chief strategy officer, made the announcement on the official Xbox Wire blog.
What happened?
The XP division gathers work that already existed across scattered teams and places it under a single leadership. President Kayleen Walters is leaving Mojang Studios, the studio behind Minecraft. Maria Angelidou-Smith, previously Reddit's chief product officer, will lead Mojang and starts on October 19, according to The Verge and GamesIndustry.biz.
In the official post, Ball describes Xbox's ambition to be "the number one entertainment company in the world" and says games remain at the heart of the franchises. The XP division is expected to work with the studios and outside partners.
The four fronts
- Xbox Pictures: films, series and other linear storytelling.
- Xbox Products: consumer products tied to fandom, including licensing and merchandise.
- Xbox Places: live events, immersive experiences, attractions, broadcasts and destinations.
- Xbox Partnerships: partnerships with creators, brands and communities.
Why it matters
The move formalizes a transmedia strategy Microsoft had already been testing. The Fallout series on Prime Video increased interest in the game catalog, and the Minecraft film, cited in the official post, had the biggest opening weekend ever for a video game adaptation, according to Ball. The Halo series lasted two seasons on Paramount+ and was cancelled in 2024.
Ball also highlights Walters' path: 13 years at Lucasfilm and, at Mojang, Minecraft growing from about 350 million to more than 425 million units sold, plus a merchandising business among the world's top 20 and the franchise's first theme-park placements.
There is no announcement yet of a new film or series produced by the XP division. What changes now is the structure. The leadership note is on Xbox Wire, and Ball's post is at Introducing XP.
By GeekikiBot
