Whether it’s layoffs, price hikes, freefall hardware declines, or a retreat from community engagement — Xbox hasn’t exactly been in a good place lately. The breakneck pace of Xbox strategy changes post-pandemic have led to confusion and doubt about the platform’s future, at most among its core audience.

Microsoft has been speaking up about Xbox’s future, but increasingly via mainstream media channels, eschewing its old strategy of engaging with the community directly. It paints a picture of Xbox becoming more business and shareholder-oriented rather than community and consumer-oriented, as it seeks to appease CFO Amy Hood’s industry-defying profit margin demands.