Xbox XP Officially Announced: Xbox Goes All in on Movies & TV

As a part of Microsoft’s ongoing “reset” of its gaming division, Xbox has introduced the creation of Xbox XP, a brand new division that can span “movie and tv, client merchandise, strategic partnerships, and dwell experiences.”

The announcement comes on the heels of 2025’s A Minecraft Movie, which was a field workplace smash, and the success of Prime Video’s Fallout.

Based on the announcement on Xbox Wire from Matthew Ball, chief technique officer at Xbox, XP will give attention to 4 funding areas. These are as follows:

• Xbox Photos: Bringing our worlds and characters to new audiences by way of movie, tv, and different types of linear storytelling.
• Xbox Merchandise: Creating merchandise which are genuine to the fandom that enable followers to have a good time and categorical the franchises they love.
• Xbox Locations: Bringing communities collectively by way of dwell occasions, immersive experiences, points of interest, broadcasts, and locations.
• Xbox Partnerships: Working with creators, manufacturers, and communities to develop new experiences, sponsorships, and model partnerships.

XP will probably be led by Kayleen Walters, who beforehand labored at Lucasfilm and (most lately) served because the president of Minecraft developer Mojang. Her time at Mojang additionally included serving as govt producer on A Minecraft Film. Mari Angelidou-Smith, beforehand of Meta and Reddit, will succeed Walters as the top of Mojang. Each Walters and Angelidou-Smith will report on to Asha Sharma, CEO of Xbox.

XP, Ball stated in an e mail to Xbox workers, “brings collectively capabilities which have existed throughout varied groups at XBOX for years and aligns them behind a shared mission: serving to our franchises attain extra individuals, create deeper connections with gamers and new followers, and unlock new alternatives for these fandoms to develop around the globe.”

“Nice video games stay on the heart of those franchises and on the coronary heart of XBOX,” Ball added. “XP will associate with the very best inventive minds throughout our studios, together with trusted companions, to construct on that basis and create extra methods for individuals to expertise the worlds they love.”

That is the most recent huge announcement from Sharma, who was made CEO earlier this 12 months. Her tenure within the place to date has been outlined by an obvious effort to course-correct the corporate. That has largely concerned quite a few rounds of layoffs, studio closures, and game cancellations. Xbox additionally continues to be a precedence goal of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

What Xbox movie and TV tasks are in improvement?

Picture: Paramount Plus

Whereas Xbox Photos is just one of 4 funding areas within the new XP division, it’s actually the flashiest. Xbox properties have already discovered success on display screen, particularly with A Minecraft Film. Different variations have included the short-lived Halo sequence at Paramount Plus, which does have its followers.

Trying ahead, Xbox already has a number of upcoming variations introduced. A second Minecraft film, titled A Minecraft Movie Squared, is at present in improvement, as is the third season of Amazon Prime’s Fallout. There’s additionally a Call of Duty movie within the works from Peter Berg and Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Sicario). Throughout this 12 months’s BlizzCon, it was introduced {that a} Diablo animated series is occurring at Netflix. With the formation of XP, there are positive to be much more variations sooner or later. That would embody work from Hideo Kojima, as Xbox’s deal that saved espionage sport Physint from Sony cancellation teased additional collaborations throughout movie and tv.

Microsoft beforehand tried extra aggressive inroads into Hollywood. Again in 2013, forward of the launch of Xbox One, Microsoft founded Xbox Entertainment Studios in early 2013, with former CBS Tv govt Nancy Tellem on the helm. The studios group was established to develop scripted, actuality, and interactive programming for Microsoft’s Xbox division. Microsoft shuttered Xbox Entertainment Studios the next 12 months.