- Asha Sharma has set a goal for Xbox to entertain more than a billion people daily as part of a significant restructuring plan that includes 3,200 job cuts by 2027.
- Sharma's ambition translates to a player base equivalent to 83 World of Warcrafts logged in simultaneously at their peak.
- To achieve this, she aims for 555 Counter-Strikes logged in every day, referencing the peak player count of the popular game.
- Sharma's vision includes 24 Steams at their all-time record heights, indicating a massive increase in user engagement.
- Despite these ambitious goals, she announced that Xbox will have 3,200 fewer employees by 2027.
- Sharma stated that Xbox is currently operating at margins that are 3–10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses.
- She emphasized that the changes being made are about a bigger future for Xbox, not a smaller one.
- Sharma believes that the next decade of gaming will be larger, more global, and more creative than anything seen before.
- She plans to invest in Xbox with greater focus, discipline, and clarity to make it the platform where the world plays and creates.
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has set an ambitious goal for the gaming giant, aiming to entertain more than a billion people daily by 2027, despite announcing a significant workforce reduction of 3,200 jobs. In her memo, Sharma stated, “I want Xbox to be one of the few companies that entertains more than a billion people each day and gives everyone the opportunity to create and connect.”1
To achieve this, she envisions a player base equivalent to 83 peak World of Warcraft sessions logged in simultaneously, which is a staggering target compared to current industry standards. For context, Counter-Strike peaked at 1.8 million players, while Fortnite and Roblox reached 15 million and 10.9 million respectively. Even combined, these figures fall short of Sharma's goal.
Sharma emphasized that the restructuring is aimed at a “bigger future for Xbox, not a smaller one,” and that the company will invest more strategically in its growth. She noted, “The next decade of gaming will be larger, more global, and more creative than anything we’ve seen before.”8
Despite the ambitious vision, the announcement of job cuts has drawn criticism, with some viewing it as a contradiction to the company's growth aspirations. Sharma acknowledged that Xbox is currently operating at 3-10 times lower margins than its competitors, indicating a need for significant changes to remain competitive in the evolving gaming landscape.
“The target of one billion daily players is 24 times Steam's all-time peak concurrent users, equivalent to 555 Counter-Strike peak days. Critics argue the ambition is delusional as the company simultaneously cuts 3,200 jobs.”
Insider Gaming
Eurogamer.net
