Xbox has established a new division, 'XP,' to oversee areas beyond gaming, including film and TV, merchandise, and live experiences. Kayleen Walters, who previously led Mojang, will serve as President of XP, while Maria Angelidou-Smith joins as the new CEO of Mojang and 'Minecraft'.
Xbox announced the reorganization and leadership appointments through an internal memo published on its official blog, Xbox Wire, on October 8. XP takes its name from 'Experience Points,' a common gaming term. The four pillars include 'Xbox Pictures' for film and TV adaptations, 'Xbox Products' for licensing and merchandise, 'Xbox Partnerships' for sponsorships and brand collaborations, and 'Xbox Places' for location-based experiences such as major broadcasts, live events, and theme parks.
At Mojang, Walters led consumer products for 'Minecraft' and served as an executive producer on 'A Minecraft Movie'. Prior to that, she spent 13 years at Lucasfilm working across 'Star Wars' films, merchandise, and partnerships.
Her successor, Angelidou-Smith, led community-related products including Facebook Groups at Meta, subsequently oversaw product and engineering organizations at Personio, and led product at Reddit. She will assume her role as CEO of Mojang on October 19.
