Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball Wants To Revive Microsoft’s Storied Franchises And Rebuild The Console Business

Xbox appears to be entering one of its most aggressive strategic reset periods in years. Following the appointment of Scott Van Vliet as Chief Technology Officer and Matthew Ball as Chief Strategy Officer, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is continuing to reshape the platform’s leadership team with a clear focus on rebuilding hardware momentum, improving execution, and restoring confidence among longtime fans.

According to a new Bloomberg report, Ball’s early focus will be centered on 2 major priorities: rebuilding Xbox’s struggling console business and reviving Microsoft’s “storied franchises.” That single phrase has already triggered major speculation across the Xbox community, especially among players who have spent years asking Microsoft to bring back older IPs that helped define the brand during earlier console generations.

For Xbox, this could be a crucial course correction. The platform has spent years trying to stretch beyond the traditional console model through Game Pass, cloud gaming, PC releases, and a wider multiplatform strategy. While those moves expanded Microsoft’s reach, they also weakened the emotional and practical reason to buy Xbox hardware. If players can access many of the biggest Xbox titles elsewhere, the console itself needs a stronger identity and a sharper value proposition.

Ball reportedly believes the console business is still growing despite ongoing challenges tied to component costs and future hardware pricing. That matters because Xbox is expected to move toward its next generation hardware strategy, including the rumored Project Helix. With memory pricing, manufacturing costs, and market uncertainty all creating pressure, Xbox will need more than powerful hardware to compete. It will need software that gives players a reason to stay inside the ecosystem.

That is where Microsoft’s older franchises could become strategically valuable. Fans are already speculating about possible revivals for Banjo Kazooie, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Crimson Skies, MechAssault, Viva Piñata, Kameo, and Shadowrun. None of these franchises is guaranteed to dominate the industry by itself, but reviving the right titles could rebuild goodwill, strengthen platform identity, and remind players that Xbox still owns a deep catalog of recognizable creative properties.

The challenge is execution. A franchise revival only works if it feels modern, polished, and creatively justified. Bringing back a dormant name for nostalgia alone would not be enough. Microsoft would need to treat these IPs as serious brand investments, pairing them with the right studios, clear budgets, and strong creative direction. If done correctly, older Xbox franchises could help fill gaps between larger releases from Halo, Gears of War, Forza, Fable, and other major Xbox properties.

Ball’s appointment is especially notable because he is not simply a corporate operator. He is one of the most respected analysts in the games industry, known for his annual State of Video Gaming 2026 report and his work through Epyllion, the advisory and venture firm he founded. His analysis has repeatedly argued that the games industry is growing in a more uneven way than headline revenue figures suggest.

That context is important for Xbox. Ball’s February 2026 report presents a market where global content spending reached a record level in 2025, but where many Western publishers still faced weak growth, tougher margins, and more limited funding. In other words, the industry may still be expanding, but not every company is benefiting equally. For Xbox, that means the answer cannot simply be more spending. It needs sharper investment.

Ball has also emphasized that platform services have become more important than raw console software sales. This directly connects to Xbox’s Game Pass strategy, where subscription value remains central to Microsoft’s gaming ecosystem. However, Game Pass has also faced growth challenges, pricing controversy, and strategic adjustments. Microsoft previously consulted Ball in 2020 about Game Pass, and he reportedly produced a detailed white paper examining the strengths and weaknesses of subscription models. Given the service’s recent turbulence, his return in a formal leadership role suggests Xbox may now be looking for more disciplined guidance.

The report also reinforces another major point: older franchises still dominate attention across gaming. Many of the biggest games today are not new IPs, but long running ecosystems, legacy brands, or franchises with years of accumulated community loyalty. That creates a strong argument for Xbox to reexamine its own back catalog. Microsoft does not need every dormant IP to become a billion dollar franchise. It needs enough strong revivals to rebuild trust, diversify Game Pass, and strengthen the console’s unique identity.

Scott Van Vliet’s role as Chief Technology Officer adds another layer to the reset. As a former OpenAI executive with previous gaming experience, Van Vliet is expected to help Xbox become more efficient in building products. While Ball focuses on strategy and business direction, Van Vliet’s role could influence the technical foundation behind future Xbox hardware, services, tools, and product delivery.

Together, these leadership changes suggest that Asha Sharma is building a team focused on both vision and execution. Xbox needs strategic clarity, stronger technology operations, improved partner relationships, and a better connection with players. It also needs to prove that the console business still has a future inside Microsoft’s broader gaming ambitions.

The key question now is whether Xbox can turn this leadership reset into visible results. Reviving classic franchises may help rebuild goodwill, but fans will judge the company by what ships, not what is promised. The same applies to Project Helix, Game Pass, third party partnerships, and any future exclusivity strategy.

For now, the message is clear. Xbox is no longer simply trying to defend the previous roadmap. Under Asha Sharma, and now with Matthew Ball helping shape strategy, Microsoft appears to be preparing a more deliberate attempt to rebuild the console business, reconnect with its legacy, and use its dormant IP portfolio as part of a broader platform revival.

Which classic Xbox franchise should Microsoft bring back first: Banjo Kazooie, Lost Odyssey, Crimson Skies, MechAssault, Viva Piñata, or something else?