Xbox has created a new division, XP, to take its game franchises into film, television, merchandise, sponsorships and live attractions. In an Xbox Wire post, the company said XP will be led by Kayleen Walters, who moves over from her role at Mojang as the division’s first president.
The name is a play on “Experience Points”. According to an internal memo from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, published on Xbox UK’s site, XP is meant to cover how people experience Xbox franchises “beyond the games themselves”. Xbox says it brings together capabilities that have existed across various teams for years and aligns them behind one mission.
Four areas under XP
XP formalises four investment areas:
| Area | Remit |
|---|---|
| Xbox Pictures | Film, television and other linear storytelling |
| Xbox Products | Licensing and merchandise for fans |
| Xbox Places | Live events, broadcasts, attractions and theme parks |
| Xbox Partnerships | Sponsorships and brand partnerships with creators and communities |
Xbox stresses that games stay at the centre. XP will work with studios and outside partners rather than replace them.
Who is running it
Walters spent 13 years at Lucasfilm, working on Star Wars across films, products and partnerships. At Minecraft, Xbox says she helped grow consumer products into a multibillion-dollar business with more than 250 licensees. She was also executive producer of A Minecraft Movie, which Sharma’s memo calls the biggest film in the US last year and a top-five release worldwide, and she is a producer of the sequel.
Xbox’s own post says Minecraft sales rose from 350 million to over 425 million units during her tenure, and that Mojang secured the first of what it expects to be several theme park placements.
Her departure leaves a gap at Mojang. Maria Angelidou-Smith joins Xbox as CEO of Mojang and Minecraft, starting on 19 October. She spent nearly a decade at Meta, where she led Facebook Groups, and later served as chief product officer at Reddit. Both she and Walters report to Sharma.
What XP is, and isn’t
The Hollywood Reporter notes that XP is not a production company. Its job is to match Xbox’s franchises with the right production partners. The same report lists franchises that could benefit, including Call of Duty, Fallout, Gears of War, Diablo, Forza, The Elder Scrolls and Halo, and points to projects already in motion: a Minecraft sequel, a Minecraft theme park planned for 2027, a Call of Duty film from Taylor Sheridan and Peter Berg, and a Diablo animated series for Netflix.
The timing sits alongside heavy restructuring at Xbox. Sharma’s leadership has involved layoffs and studio closures, and tbreak recently covered reported layoffs at Ninja Theory. XP is a bet that the company’s biggest brands can earn more outside the console, even as it cuts costs inside it.
Xbox hasn’t announced new projects, budgets or release dates under XP, and the post doesn’t say whether any of the four areas will launch in the UAE or the wider Middle East. For players, the nearest-term effect is likely to be more tie-ins to existing franchises such as Forza Horizon 6 rather than anything that changes how the games themselves are made.
What is Xbox XP?
XP is a new Xbox division covering film and television, consumer products, live experiences and brand partnerships for Xbox franchises. It is not a game studio.
Who leads XP?
Kayleen Walters, previously president of Mojang and a former Lucasfilm executive, is XP’s president and reports to Xbox CEO Asha Sharma.
Does XP announce any new films or shows?
Not yet. Xbox’s announcement covers the structure and leadership only. Projects such as the Minecraft sequel and the Call of Duty film were already in development.
