A new technology officer has also been appointed
by Ben Kerry
Coming by way of both The Game Business and The Verge (paywalled) this evening, Microsoft has hired a pair of new Xbox executives – including a Chief Strategy Officer to “strengthen the console side of Xbox”; as The Game Business puts it.
That new CSO is called Matthew Ball; an industry analyst who produces the annual ‘The State of Video Gaming’ report. Ball is coming in to help with the console side of the business as Microsoft puts renewed focus on Xbox Series X|S and builds towards Project Helix.
A second hire has also been announced today; Scott Van Vliet as Chief Technology Officer. According to The Game Business, Vliet is coming in “to improve how Xbox builds products so teams can move faster and deliver stronger results”. Alongside these fresh hires, Chris Schnakenberg has taken on a new role as Vice President, Partnerships & Business Development; the latest internal reshuffle at Xbox HQ.
New boss Asha Sharma has commented on these fresh job roles, with a cheeky mention of the Xbox Games Showcase (coming next month), and beyond:
“These changes are about strengthening our foundation by creating more clarity and improving execution, […] As we head toward Showcase and beyond, we’ll continue making the changes needed to position XBOX for the future.”
It’s good to see Microsoft continue to focus more on the console side of its Xbox business here in 2026, and we wish these hires well in their new roles within Team Green.
What do you make of this news? Talk to us about it down below.
[source thegamebusiness.com, via theverge.com]
Ben is a News Writer at Pure Xbox, and is a fan of action, racing and straight-up shootin’ in any Xbox game he can get his hands on. When he’s not clutching an Xbox controller like his life depends on it, Ben spends his time listening to music that’s far too old for him, watching football on the telly and probably eating somewhere.
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