Xbox Launches XP Division to Expand Franchises into Film and TV
Xbox has launched XP, a new division dedicated to expanding its gaming franchises into film, television, merchandise, and live events.
- Headline: Xbox Launches XP Division to Expand Franchises into Film and TV
- Dispatch Summary: Xbox has launched XP, a new division dedicated to expanding its gaming franchises into film, television, merchandise, and live events.
- Verification: Corroborated across independent reporting outlets with primary sources and real-time wire transmissions.
Fans of big-screen adaptations and console franchises can now expect a more centralized approach to how their favorite video game worlds cross over into movies, television, and live events. Xbox announced the creation of XP, a new division designed to turn the company’s gaming properties into expansive multimedia franchises across various platforms. The move formalizes four distinct investment areas for the brand, arriving in the wake of significant corporate restructuring that included studio closures and layoffs under executive vice president and chief executive officer Asha Sharma.
Structuring Four Pillars of Expansion
Internal memos and blog posts from leadership outline four specific pillars that will guide the division’s operations. Xbox Pictures will handle film, television, and linear storytelling formats. Xbox Products will focus on licensing and merchandise designed to be authentic to the fandom. Xbox Places will encompass live events, immersive attractions, marquee broadcasts, visitor spaces, and theme parks like the upcoming Minecraft World in London. Finally, Xbox Partnerships will manage brand sponsorships and collaborations with creators and communities.
This four-pronged push follows a series of successful adaptations and high-profile projects already in motion. Xbox Pictures builds directly on the box-office success of A Minecraft Movie and Amazon Prime Video’s Fallout series. Additional adaptations are already lined up, including a Minecraft movie sequel, a third season of Fallout, a Call of Duty film, an animated Diablo series for Netflix, and potential film and TV adaptations stemming from Hideo Kojima’s project with the company.
Leadership Shifts and Studio Restructuring
To steer the new division, Xbox has appointed Kayleen Walters as president of XP. Walters previously led Mojang Studios, where she oversaw the growth of the Minecraft brand from 350 million units sold to
more than 425 million
units sold, alongside expanding its merchandising business into one of the top 20 globally. Before her tenure at Mojang, Walters worked in marketing at Lucasfilm from 2004 to 2017 and served as an executive producer on A Minecraft Movie and its upcoming sequel.With Walters transitioning to lead XP, Maria Angelidou-Smith is stepping in as the new leader of Mojang Studios. Angelidou-Smith brings previous executive experience from her roles as head of Facebook Groups, Events, Search, Creators, Profile, and Monetization at Meta, chief product officer at Reddit, and her appointment is scheduled for October 19. According to Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball, video games will remain firmly at the center of Xbox and its franchises, while XP works alongside creative partners to offer audiences new ways to engage with those gaming worlds.
Turning Consoles into Cultural Forces
The broader strategy represents a distinct shift in how Xbox manages its intellectual property, aiming for a footprint comparable to major entertainment ecosystems like Marvel Comics or LEGO. While earlier corporate phases involved sweeping layoffs and the divestment of long-running studios, Sharma’s current turnaround effort seeks to extract broader cultural value from existing assets. Merchandise ventures, food brand crossovers similar to recent collaborations with Crumbl Cookies, and location-based entertainment such as Halo Fest and theme park destinations are central to this ambition.
For industry observers and investors, the key distinction is that XP is not a traditional production house, but a coordinating body intended to bridge the gap between game developers and Hollywood studios. As the division takes shape under Walters, fans should watch for further announcements regarding specific product lines, casting updates for upcoming film and television projects, and the rollout of live experiential spaces ahead of next year's planned openings.
