The gaming world was thrown into a state of shock following the sudden retirement of long-time Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer and the simultaneous departure of Xbox President Sarah Bond. Replacing them is Asha Sharma, a former Microsoft AI executive with no prior professional background in the gaming industry.

The trend went nuclear as fans discovered Sharma’s recent Xbox gamertag, which showed she had only earned her first achievement weeks prior, leading to a massive debate over "gaming cred." Sharma quickly addressed the "not a real gamer" backlash on X, promising a return to Xbox's "renegade roots" and vowing that the future of the platform would not be flooded with "soulless AI slop."

Valkence Hot Placement

• Rank: #2

• Featured: Week starting February 23rd, 2026

• Reasoning: We ranked this at #2 because it’s a seismic shift for one of the world’s biggest entertainment brands. The combination of Spencer’s legendary status and the controversial "AI executive" takeover created a perfect storm of corporate drama, gatekeeping debates, and genuine curiosity about the future of consoles.