Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is reportedly pushing teams to speed up work on new Halo, The Elder Scrolls, and Fallout games. The move comes as Microsoft openly considers restructuring or spinning off its gaming division, according to a new report from IGN.
The report does not specify exact timelines, but the implication is that development on these flagship franchises is being accelerated beyond their original schedules. Sharma, who became CEO of Xbox in late 2025, has been tasked with delivering stronger results from Microsoft’s gaming investments.
What We Know
Microsoft has owned the Halo franchise since the original Xbox and acquired Bethesda — and with it The Elder Scrolls and Fallout — through the $7.5 billion ZeniMax deal in 2021. Those properties have historically been some of the biggest drivers of Xbox hardware and Game Pass subscriptions.
Despite their importance, release cycles for these series have been inconsistent. Fallout’s last mainline entry was 2015’s Fallout 4, while The Elder Scrolls VI was announced in 2018 with no release window. Halo Infinite launched in 2021 to mixed reception and has seen only slow content updates. Fast-tracking new projects could be an attempt to deliver major exclusives sooner and shore up Xbox’s first-party lineup.
The Bigger Picture
Microsoft leadership has been examining its gaming unit closely. The company has a history of dramatic shifts: in 2014, it absorbed a $400 million loss on Xbox One, and in 2020, it celebrated record-breaking Xbox Series X|S sales. But since then, growth has been uneven. Competition from PlayStation and the rise of cloud gaming have forced constant reevaluation.
Rumors of a potential spin-off or restructuring suggest Microsoft is weighing whether the gaming business is better off as part of the larger tech giant or as a separate entity. Accelerating blockbuster releases could raise the division’s valuation or simply demonstrate its viability.
GamerHeadlines Takeaway
If the report is accurate, Xbox fans could see new Halo, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout games sooner than expected. But the push also signals internal pressure. Microsoft’s gaming future may look very different two or three years from now — and how these projects perform could influence whether Xbox remains under the Microsoft umbrella.
