[DigitalToday reporter Choi Jae-won] Microsoft has officially denied reports it is selling Xbox, which is undergoing large-scale restructuring.

On Sept. 30, IT outlet The Verge reported that Xbox Chief Executive Asha Sharma (아샤 샤르마) said in a recent interview with The New York Times that "Xbox is not on the market." Sharma said the company would take steps needed to put the business on a successful track and would also review appropriate partnerships and operating models.

The sale speculation spread after reports in June said Microsoft had discussed spinning off Xbox internally or moving to a more independent business structure. The reports said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella (사티아 나델라) and Chief Financial Officer Amy Hood (에이미 후드) reviewed such options. No official sale plan has ever been announced.

Microsoft's current course is closer to large-scale restructuring than a sale. After foreshadowing an "Xbox Reset" in June, Sharma said in July that the company would cut about 3,200 jobs by fiscal 2027. Of those, 1,600 positions were eliminated immediately, and some small studios were separated from Xbox. Microsoft's fiscal 2027 ends in late June 2027.

Studio operating structures have also changed significantly. Activision will lead the next "HALO" project, and Rare, the developer of "Sea of Thieves," and World’s Edge Studio, the developer of "Age of Empires," were reorganised to report to Activision. The strategy is to reduce management layers and focus investment targets on major franchises.

Nadella also recently assessed Xbox's "streamlining" positively and stressed the need for a sustainable business model that can provide games to more users.

Sharma said "there is still a long road ahead with Microsoft," and said she would rebuild the business with a long-term perspective. The immediate focus appears to be not a sale but improving the cost structure and putting Xbox back on a growth track.