[UPDATE] Traces of “This is an Xbox” Campaign Reportedly Removed Under Asha Sharma’s “Direction”

[UPDATE 1:10 PM GMT+1 | 3/28/2026 ] Windows Central got a statement from Microsoft regarding the situation, which said the following:

“Asha retired ‘This is an Xbox’ because it didn’t feel like Xbox,” a Microsoft spokesperson explained. “She is personally leading a reset of how we show up as a brand.”

[ORIGINAL STORY] Back in late 2024, Microsoft launched the “This is an Xbox” campaign. It was Microsoft’s way of saying that almost any device could be an Xbox, and not just consoles. Smart TVs, handheld devices, VR headsets, and smartphones were all presented as gateways to the Xbox ecosystem. The marketing campaign was launched under the leadership of Phil Spencer, the then CEO of Xbox, Sarah Bond.

However, reports from earlier this year hinted that the strategy faced internal skepticism. Some employees reportedly viewed it as underperforming and questioned if the pivot would take a hit at Xbox’s console-first identity. Well, after the new CEO of Xbox, Asha Sharma, started her tenure, Microsoft quietly started pulling down traces of the “This is an Xbox” campaign from the official website.

At the time, it was not clear who was behind that decision. Well, we may have an answer now. According to a recent report by The Information, it was the new CEO of Xbox, Asha Sharma, who directed the pull of everything related to the This is an Xbox campaign from the website (via PureXbox).

Citing a source familiar with the move, The Information quoted, “And she has axed a controversial marketing campaign… That campaign—which was controversial among Xbox loyalists and staff because it appeared to say consoles didn’t matter anymore—was scrubbed from Xbox’s online footprint this month at Sharma’s direction, according to someone with direct knowledge of the move.”

The report, however, doesn’t mention that the campaign has been scrapped completely. That’s because there are a few traces of the “This is an Xbox” campaign still available on YouTube, and the recent Just for You offer that drops the Xbox Series X price by up to 50% for some users. So, it’s possible that internally the campaign is still being re-evaluated and isn’t off the table just yet.

Since the aforementioned details are shared in a report citing some sources and haven’t been officially communicated by Microsoft, we recommend taking these details with a grain of salt. Not to forget, another report from the same news outlet recently also hinted that Asha Sharma is actively exploring how to make Xbox Game Pass and future hardware more interesting for users. As part of this plan, the new CEO is said to be rethinking the price of Xbox Game Pass as well.