Xbox has introduced a brand new TV, motion pictures, and leisure division known as XP. Will probably be headed up by Kayleen Walters, a Lucasfilm veteran who strikes over from her most up-to-date publish as president of Minecraft maker Mojang, the place she additionally served as an government producer on final yr’s A Minecraft Film.
XP brings collectively 4 “areas of funding”: Xbox Footage; Xbox Merchandise; Xbox Partnerships; and Xbox Locations. Microsoft stated XP was arrange to assist Xbox develop into the primary leisure and gaming firm on the earth, which requires broadening its massive franchises past video video games themselves. However it isn’t a manufacturing firm. Quite, Microsoft needs to discover the fitting companions to work throughout movie, TV, bodily experiences, and shopper merchandise.
Microsoft has already seen important success within the film and TV house, with Warner Bros.’ A Minecraft Film breaking field workplace data, and Amazon’s Fallout TV present setting data for Prime Video. Upcoming Xbox diversifications embody film sequel Minecraft Squared, Fallout Season 3, a Name of Responsibility film with Peter Berg and Taylor Sheridan, and a Diablo animated sequence with Netflix. Microsoft’s deal for Hideo Kojima’s Steel Gear Stable non secular successor Physint consists of movie and TV rights, so count on an adaptation of that finally.
XP can be about dwell occasions, and once more, Xbox already has success there. Blizzard’s BlizzCon noticed a lot of important bulletins, with 35,000 individuals on the bodily occasion in Anaheim, California, and 12.5 million watching at residence. The latest Minecraft Stay, which noticed the announcement of the primary new dimension for Minecraft in 14 years, reached greater than 144 million individuals.
In the meantime, Microsoft cited partnerships corresponding to Gears of Struggle’s takeover with WWE, and Xbox’s vary of Ikea furnishings. A Minecraft theme park is ready to open its gates subsequent yr.
“XP was created from a easy however highly effective perception: the world’s most beloved gaming franchises have a chance to attain individuals far past the boundaries of the sport itself,” Walters stated. “Followers do not simply play our franchises. They watch them, put on them, attend them, have fun them, and join with them in numerous methods. XP brings collectively the groups answerable for serving to Xbox franchises present up on the earth in greater, extra significant methods.”
“XP is a play on ‘Expertise Factors’ and formalizes 4 funding areas for us: Xbox Footage for movie and tv diversifications; Xbox Merchandise for licensing and merchandise; Xbox Partnerships for sponsors and model companions; and Xbox Locations for our marquee broadcast and in-person occasions, theme parks, and different location-based experiences,” Xbox CEO Asha Sharma wrote in a company-wide memo additionally posted to Xbox Wire.
“Our franchises can imply extra to individuals than the time they spend taking part in them, and Kayleen is aware of how to construct these experiences with the trade with out shedding what made individuals care concerning the franchise within the first place.”
Microsoft famous the uplift its video video games can get when motion pictures and exhibits do properly. For instance, Fallout video games on Recreation Go noticed a 5x enhance in hours performed throughout Fallout Season 1. Minecraft, in the meantime, noticed over a 75% enhance in weekly energetic customers year-over-year for the reason that film launched (as of April 30, 2026).
If this sounds a bit acquainted, it is as a result of Microsoft has tried this earlier than. In 2012 (again within the Xbox 360 period!), Microsoft introduced Xbox Entertainment Studios with an intention to produce TV exhibits that will air instantly on Xbox consoles. XES revealed plans to create exhibits based mostly on Gears of Struggle, Fable, Forza, and State of Decay — not to point out, in fact, the unique model of the Halo TV present introduced at E3 by Stephen Spielberg, who was set to government produce. They even deliberate to make an unscripted street-soccer drama known as Each Road United. Your entire XES effort lasted simply two years earlier than getting shut down because the Xbox One’s “multi function” message failed to resonate with players following its reveal in 2013.
As a part of the modifications, Mojang has a brand new boss. Maria Angelidou-Smith, who joins Xbox as CEO of Mojang, spent almost a decade at Meta engaged on Fb Teams earlier than stints at Personio and Reddit, the place she was Chief Product Officer. “She has constructed merchandise utilized by billions of individuals and led product and engineering organizations by means of important development and change,” Sharma stated.
“She’s going to deliver that have to Mojang whereas studying from the individuals who know Minecraft finest. Her first order of enterprise is for her to study from the groups and communities that make Minecraft so particular.”
Minecraft is, in fact, one of many massive Xbox franchises the corporate is doubling down on amid Sharma’s ongoing “Reset,” which has seen almost 2,000 employees reduce from the gaming enterprise to date this monetary yr. Minecraft is the best-selling online game of all time, having shifted over 425 million copies. Its important merchandising enterprise turned one of many high 20 globally.
Ryan McCaffrey is IGN’s government editor of previews and host of IGN’s weekly Xbox present, Podcast Unlocked, and a co-host of Subsequent-Gen Console Watch. He is a North Jersey man, so it is “Taylor ham,” not “pork roll.” Debate it with him on Twitter at @DMC_Ryan.