Microsoft announced this Thursday (8) the creation of XP, a new Xbox division dedicated to expanding its franchises beyond video games. The structure will bring together film and television businesses, licensed products, commercial partnerships and in-person experiences, including events and attractions at theme parks.
The initiative concentrates activities that were already developed by different Xbox teams. Instead of creating all these operations from scratch, the company intends to organize them under a common leadership, responsible for expanding the commercial reach of its intellectual properties.
The presidency of XP will go to Kayleen Walters, who leaves the leadership of Mojang, responsible for Minecraft. The executive will report directly to Asha Sharma, Xbox CEO.
The four areas of XP and Minecraft's commercial model
The new division will have four business units. Xbox Pictures will be responsible for film and television adaptations, while Xbox Products will concentrate the licensing of products and merchandise tied to the franchises.
Xbox Partnerships will manage agreements with brands, sponsors and content creators. Xbox Places, meanwhile, will bring together events, broadcasts, immersive experiences, attractions and initiatives related to theme parks.
The choice of Walters puts an executive with experience in commercializing entertainment franchises at the head of this structure. Before joining Xbox, she worked for 13 years at Lucasfilm, participating in initiatives involving movies, products and partnerships for the Star Wars brand.
At Mojang, Walters helped transform the Minecraft products segment into a multibillion-dollar business, with more than 250 licensed companies. During her tenure, cumulative sales of the game also rose from 350 million to more than 425 million copies.
The executive was an executive producer of A Minecraft Movie, released in 2025, and is involved in the production of the sequel. The franchise has also already expanded into theme park experiences, one of the activities now part of XP.
The reorganization includes another leadership change. Maria Angelidou-Smith will take over the leadership of Mojang and Minecraft on October 19. The executive held leadership positions at Meta and Reddit, where she served as director of products.
Microsoft did not disclose a specific budget for XP or present financial targets for the new division. The announcement formalizes the structure responsible for coordinating these commercial activities, but does not establish revenue projections or its own release calendar.
