Xbox Creates XP to Expand Its Franchises Beyond Games

Kayleen Walters wears a black jacket in a studio portrait.

Xbox is creating a new division called XP to organize how its gaming franchises reach people beyond the games themselves. The company announced the change October 8th, naming Kayleen Walters president of the division and appointing Maria Angelidou-Smith to lead Mojang and Minecraft.

In Xbox’s introduction to XP, chief strategy officer Matthew Ball describes a division that combines capabilities previously spread across different teams. The four areas are Xbox Pictures, covering film and television; Xbox Products, covering consumer goods; Xbox Places, covering live and location-based experiences; and Xbox Partnerships, covering work with creators, brands and communities.

For players, the practical significance is where familiar characters and worlds may appear next. Xbox is giving those activities a shared organizational home. It says games remain the foundation and that XP will work with its studios and outside creative partners. The announcement establishes a structure and ambition, rather than a schedule of newly confirmed attractions or screen releases.

A separate leadership announcement explains Walters’ move from Mojang. Xbox points to her earlier 13 years at Lucasfilm and her work across Minecraft’s consumer products and movie business. Her new role concentrates on expanding the ways fans experience those properties.

Angelidou-Smith is scheduled to start as CEO of Mojang and Minecraft on October 19th. Xbox’s announcement cites her experience at Meta, Personio and Reddit, and says her first priority will be learning from the teams and communities around Minecraft.

The two appointments connect franchise expansion with the leadership of an existing game community. They do not, by themselves, announce a new console or a change in Game Pass pricing. For readers following Power1047’s gaming coverage, the next useful details will be the specific projects, dates and availability Xbox confirms under the new division. See our earlier Xbox FanFest coverage for one already announced fan gathering.