[UPDATE] Xbox Strategy Manager Admits Use of AI, Urges Gaming Industry to Come Clean

[UPDATE: 19, October 2026 | 17:03 UTC] As of writing this, Brandon Stirrup’s X handle remains missing, with all the post now showing unavailable. It’s unclear what’s going on right now behind the scenes. If we come across any update, we’ll let you know.

Xbox is facing fresh questions about AI use after one of its business strategists publicly addressed the topic. Brandon Stirrup says the gaming industry needs to be more open about AI adoption. He also demonstrated how quickly he built a basic game using AI tools.

Xbox manager says Microsoft uses AI across its business

Stirrup, a Senior Business Strategy Manager at Xbox, shared his thoughts on AI through a series of posts on X. He argued that gaming companies are reluctant to discuss AI because of negative sentiment among players.

“Gaming is the only industry where leaders are afraid to talk about ai. Users want the truth. We’re using AI,” Stirrup wrote. He also claimed that hundreds of Xbox employees use AI, suggesting the industry should acknowledge its adoption rather than avoid the discussion.

Stirrup said he has spent more than a decade proving his commitment to Microsoft and Xbox. He added that he was willing to face potential consequences if his comments helped colleagues speak more openly.

Brandon Stirrup builds a game in three hours using AI

The discussion followed Stirrup’s experiment with AI-assisted game development over the weekend. He shared a recording of a basic football game he created despite having no previous experience making video games.

“My little bad game took 3 hours of active work this weekend. I have never attempted to make a video game,” he explained. Stirrup said he used Unreal Engine with MCP tools, allowing an AI agent to test the game and iterate on its implementation. He also wondered how much more the project could achieve with two people working on it for a year.

AI adoption remains a divisive topic in gaming

Stirrup believes developers and studios should accept AI as part of the industry’s future. However, his comments reflect his personal position, rather than an official Microsoft policy announcement.

AI use remains controversial among gamers, especially when companies use generated content in games or discuss automation. Stirrup’s revelation adds to that debate, but it doesn’t mean that AI can independently replace a professional game development team.

In other Xbox news, Microsoft has added a Disc-to-Digital license history page to help players track revoked game access. Meanwhile, the company is giving away 25 Xbox games worth $500 with eligible Windows 11 PCs to celebrate Xbox’s 25th anniversary.