Kayleen Walters is moving from Mojang to become president of XP, a newly created Xbox division focused on how audiences experience Xbox franchises beyond the games themselves. Maria Angelidou-Smith will join Xbox as CEO of Mojang and Minecraft.
XP formalizes four investment areas under one division. Xbox Pictures covers film and television adaptations, while Xbox Products handles licensing and merchandise. Xbox Partnerships will work with sponsors and brand partners, and Xbox Places encompasses broadcasts, in-person events, theme parks, and other location-based experiences.
The interesting part of the restructuring is its breadth: XP is not an announced game, platform feature, or service for players to install. It is the organizational home for Xbox’s efforts to extend its franchises into other media, physical products, partnerships, and real-world venues. Walters’ move from Mojang puts her in charge of that broader operation, although the announcement did not specify when her transition will take effect.
Angelidou-Smith, meanwhile, arrives with experience across technology and product leadership. Before joining Xbox, she spent nearly a decade at Meta, later led product and technology at Personio, and served as Reddit’s chief product officer. Her first priority at Mojang will be learning from Minecraft’s teams and communities.
Walters and Angelidou-Smith will both report to the executive who issued the announcement. Angelidou-Smith is scheduled to begin her new role on Monday, October 19.
Official link: news.xbox.com
