Xbox Ditches 'Microsoft Gaming' Moniker in Favor of Simpler Branding

Xbox has made a significant branding shift, returning to its original name after years of using the 'Microsoft Gaming' moniker. The change follows the appointment of new Xbox head Asha Sharma, who announced internally that the division will now be known simply as Xbox.

This decision marks the end of the 'Microsoft Gaming' branding, which was introduced in 2022 following the Activision Blizzard acquisition. Sharma’s announcement aligns with her broader 'return of Xbox' initiative, which has also included lowering the price of Game Pass and removing day-one access to Call of Duty from the service.

Sharma’s leadership has also distanced the company from past missteps, including the widely criticized 'This Is An Xbox' campaign under former Xbox president Sarah Bond. That campaign, which attempted to rebrand Xbox by focusing on non-Xbox elements, was swiftly abandoned and scrubbed from the internet.

According to The Verge’s Tom Warren, Microsoft has embraced the 'return of Xbox' slogan in its offices, alongside phrases like 'great games' and 'future of play.' A new Xbox logo has also begun appearing on Microsoft’s campus ahead of the upcoming Xbox Showcase in June.

I, a person who writes about video games professionally and so often writes about Xbox, had largely forgotten about 'Microsoft Gaming' and have infrequently used it instead of just writing 'Xbox,' the word for 'Xbox' I assume most of our readers associate with Xbox.

This rebranding effort comes after years of confusion over Xbox’s identity, with critics questioning the value of the 'Microsoft Gaming' label. The shift reflects a broader trend in corporate rebranding, where simplicity and clarity often win out over convoluted naming strategies.