Microsoft Gaming is now Xbox again: What changes with the rebranding?
Microsoft has rebranded its gaming division back to Xbox, introducing a new logo and outlining changes in strategy and focus areas.
Published By: Shubham Arora | Published: Apr 24, 2026, 09:57 PM (IST)
Microsoft has confirmed a major change in how it presents its gaming business. The company is dropping the "Microsoft Gaming" branding and going back to simply calling it Xbox. Along with this, Xbox has also introduced a new logo.
The change comes as part of a wider reset under new leadership. Internally, the company has acknowledged that things need to change, both in terms of how Xbox is positioned and how it operates going forward.
Xbox name returns to the front
The biggest change here is the name itself. Microsoft Gaming as a label is being phased out, with the company choosing to bring everything back under the Xbox identity.
While "Microsoft Gaming" explained the structure, it didn't reflect what the brand stands for. Xbox has always been at the centre of Microsoft's gaming push, whether it's consoles, services, or the overall community around it. Moving back to that name makes things simpler and easier to recognise. It also fits in with how Xbox is now spread across console, PC, and cloud.
New logo and visual identity
With the rebrand, the company has also rolled out a new logo. It moves away from the older black-and-white look and brings in a brighter green finish. It's a clear change, and it lines up with the updates happening across the platform.
https://www.twitter.com/Xbox/status/2047435350524477484
Bigger changes beyond the logo
This update is not just about changing a name or a logo. It comes with a wider rethink of how Xbox works as a platform.
Internally, the company has pointed out a few key issues. Feature updates on console have slowed down, the PC presence is not as strong as expected, and the overall experience across search, discovery, and social features still feels scattered.
Pricing has also become a concern, with many users finding it harder to keep up as costs continue to rise across gaming hardware and services. The company just recently addressed this with a price cut on the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription for both PC and console users.
Changes in strategy being considered
One area that is clearly being looked at again is exclusivity. Over the past few years, Xbox has started bringing some of its games to other platforms, but that approach may not stay the same going forward. This is being looked at what Sony has been planning to do with their exclusive titles, starting with Marvel's Wolverine which lands on PS5 in September this year. While earlier it was also expected to hit other platforms, Sony will now release the action title exclusively on PS5.
Meanwhile, Xbox has said it will take a fresh look at how exclusivity works going forward, along with other areas like content release timing and the use of AI.
At the same time, the focus is now on four areas: hardware, content, experience, and services. Console will still be at the centre, but the idea now is to make games work across more devices through cloud and subscriptions.
Focus on players and flexibility
There's also a change in how things are being looked at internally. Instead of just counting console sales, the focus is now on how many people are actually using Xbox every day.
At the same time, the company is trying to make things simpler for users. That includes pricing, changes to Game Pass, and making sure everything works smoothly across devices.
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