Xbox Forms XP Division to Expand Game Franchises

Microsoft's Xbox announced XP on October 8, 2026, led by Kayleen Walters moving from Mojang president, to expand franchises beyond gameplay through film and television, consumer products, partnerships and live experiences. The unit splits into Xbox Pictures, Xbox Products, Xbox Partnerships and Xbox Places. Maria Angelidou-Smith, formerly Reddit chief product officer, becomes Mojang CEO. Xbox said XP coordinates work previously spread across teams and is not itself a production company. Projects in development include a Call of Duty movie with Taylor Sheridan, a Diablo animated series, Physint film and TV rights with Hideo Kojima, Minecraft Squared and Fallout season 3. Under Walters, Minecraft sales rose from 350 million to more than 425 million units, and A Minecraft Movie posted the biggest opening weekend for a video-game adaptation and finished No. 1 domestic. Walters spent 13 years at Lucasfilm on Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Matthew Ball, Xbox chief strategy officer, endorsed her leadership. Walters said franchises can reach people beyond the game and that fans watch, wear, attend and celebrate them. No material factual disputes appear across outlets. Xbox shut down Xbox Entertainment Studios 12 years earlier. Cited adjacent work includes BlizzCon, Minecraft Live, a WWE campaign for Gears of War, an IKEA partnership and an upcoming Minecraft theme park.