Xbox XP Division: What Changes for Mojang and Minecraft

Microsoft has formed XP, a new Xbox division focused on extending game franchises into film and television, merchandise, brand partnerships and live experiences. Xbox Wire says Kayleen Walters will lead XP as president. The company also named Maria Angelidou-Smith the next CEO of Mojang and Minecraft; she is due to start on October 19, 2026. The announcement is an organizational change, not a new Minecraft game or a specific adaptation order.

XP brings four franchise businesses together

Xbox's description divides XP into four areas. Xbox Pictures will handle film and television adaptations and other linear storytelling. Xbox Products covers licensing and merchandise. Xbox Places is responsible for live events, immersive attractions, broadcasts and destinations. Xbox Partnerships will work with creators, brands and communities on sponsorships and other collaborations.

The division's premise is to give Xbox franchises more ways to reach audiences beyond the games themselves. That can include products and events around familiar series, as well as screen adaptations. Xbox says its studios remain central to those franchises. The announcement does not name a first project, confirm a new theme park deal, or provide a schedule for productions under the XP banner. Read Xbox's public XP announcement alongside its leadership post for the division's remit and start date.

Kayleen Walters moves from Mojang to lead XP

Walters previously led Mojang and has experience across entertainment licensing and film. Xbox's announcement cites her 13 years at Lucasfilm and work building Minecraft's consumer products business. She was also an executive producer on A Minecraft Movie and is a producer on its sequel, according to Xbox. She now brings that franchise experience to the company's wider portfolio.

Xbox points to business growth during Walters' Mojang tenure as the reason her experience fits XP. The company says Minecraft sales grew from 350 million to more than 425 million units, its merchandise business became one of the world's top 20, and A Minecraft Movie opened stronger than any earlier video game adaptation. These are Microsoft's examples of Walters' franchise work, not project announcements from XP.

XP's remit overlaps with businesses that already exist at Xbox, according to the public description. The company says the new division gathers capabilities that had been distributed across teams and aligns them under a shared mission. It has not described staffing levels, budget, reporting structure beyond Walters' appointment, or whether existing projects will move immediately into the new unit.

Mojang gets a new chief executive

Maria Angelidou-Smith will join Xbox as CEO of Mojang and Minecraft, with an October 19 start date. Xbox says she previously led products at Meta, Personio and Reddit, with experience in community products, creators, search and monetization. At Meta, she led Facebook Groups, which Xbox says had more than 1.8 billion monthly users, as well as Events, Creators, Search, Profile and Monetization. She later led product and technology at Personio and was Reddit's chief product officer. Microsoft says she will first learn from Mojang's teams and Minecraft community.

Minecraft has a large community of players, creators, educators and server operators. Xbox has not tied Angelidou-Smith's appointment to changes in the game's roadmap, moderation, monetization or studio operations.

What players can and cannot infer

Microsoft says XP will coordinate cross-media and live experience work across its franchises. The announcement names no new Halo, Fallout, Gears of War or Minecraft project and gives no release schedule.

Discussion in an r/Xbox thread about XP reflects two immediate questions: whether fans want more screen and live projects from Xbox, and whether that work will distract from games. Those are reactions to the announcement. Microsoft has not said XP will reduce game development budgets or named a project that answers either concern.

Angelidou-Smith starts October 19 and says she will begin by learning from Mojang's teams and community. Microsoft has not announced a related game update or changes to Minecraft's content schedule. Read our Minecraft and Xbox platform coverage for another recent ecosystem story.

Frequently asked questions

More details will depend on the first projects

The next project under XP will show how the new division works in practice. Xbox has named its remit and two leadership changes; the announcement does not change any game's release schedule.