Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Pointed to Record Minecraft and World of Warcraft Forever Sales, but Circana Sees No Impact From Her Initiatives
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma pointed to record sales for Minecraft and World of Warcraft Forever during a fiscal quarter where the division's revenue decline narrowed to two percent, dropping to $5.38 billion for the period ended September 30. Despite these highlights and various strategic measures introduced since taking office in February 2026, market research firm Circana reports that these initiatives have generated no measurable payoff, with US market share continuing to shrink and console sales falling.
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- ✓ Xbox revenue declined by two percent year-over-year to $5.38 billion for the fiscal first quarter ended September 30.
- ✓ Xbox CEO Asha Sharma highlighted record sales for Minecraft and World of Warcraft Forever.
- ✓ Circana analyst Mat Piscatella stated that Xbox strategic initiatives and measures have had no positive or measurable impact on US market share and hardware sales.
What changed
Circana publicly disputed the effectiveness of Xbox leadership's recent strategic initiatives after quarterly financial figures were reported.
Live updates
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Xbox CEO Touts Sales as Circana Sees No Impact
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma pointed to record sales for Minecraft and World of Warcraft Forever during a fiscal quarter where the division's revenue decline narrowed to two percent, dropping to $5.38 billion for the period ended September 30. Despite these highlights and various strategic measures introduced since taking office in February 2026, market research firm Circana reports that these initiatives have generated no measurable payoff, with US market share continuing to shrink and console sales falling.
Why it matters
The sluggish performance arrives during a turbulent multiplatform era where major exclusive titles struggle to drive hardware adoption for Microsoft compared to competitors like Sony's PlayStation 5. Circana analyst Mat Piscatella noted that despite leadership efforts to steer the business toward a healthy state, sales and engagement data across the US gaming industry show zero positive movement.
What is confirmed
- Xbox revenue declined by two percent year-over-year to $5.38 billion for the fiscal first quarter ended September 30.
- Xbox CEO Asha Sharma highlighted record sales for Minecraft and World of Warcraft Forever.
- Circana analyst Mat Piscatella stated that Xbox strategic initiatives and measures have had no positive or measurable impact on US market share and hardware sales.
Still unconfirmed
- Gears of War: E-Day reportedly cost $500 million to make and sold just 400,000 copies, including 62,000 on Xbox compared to 1.7 million on Game Pass.
- Players are speculating about a possible Xbox release for World of Warcraft Forever following its pre-launch records.
What to watch next
- Future quarterly earnings reports to see if Xbox revenue stabilization continues or reverses.
- Updated hardware sales and market share tracking data from Circana.
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (16)
- wccftech.com — Xbox Revenue Decline Narrows to 2% as Asha Sharma Points to ...
- Wccftech — Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Pointed to Record Minecraft and World of Warcraft Forever Sales, but Circana Sees No Impact From Her Initiatives
- IGN — Gears of War: E-Day Reportedly Cost $500 Million to Make, Amid Claims It Has Sold Just 400,000 Copies
- GameSpot — Xbox's Recent Efforts Haven't Changed Anything And The Future Remains Bleak, Expert Says
- Yahoo Tech — A tale of 2 exclusives in the multiplatform era: Wolverine helps sell PS5s, but Gears doesn’t move the needle for Xbox
- https://tech-insider.org/ — Gears E-Day Sold 62K on Xbox vs 1.7M on Game Pass [2026]
- wccftech.com — Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Pointed to Record Minecraft and World of ...
- www.minenest.com — Xbox CEO Asha Sharma Pointed to Record Minecraft and World of ...
- www.minenest.com — Xbox Revenue Decline Narrows to 2% as Asha Sharma Points to ...
- news.instant-gaming.com — According to one analyst, Asha Sharma's measures have had ...
- finance.biggo.com — Xbox Revenue Slide Eases to 2% in Fiscal Q1 as Sharma Touts ...
- finance.yahoo.com — Xbox’s Recent Efforts Haven’t Changed Anything And The Future ...
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