Ten years ago on March 31, 2014, then-Xbox Game Studios boss Phil Spencer was named Head of Xbox. And he inherited quite a mess. You all know the story; there’s no need to beat the horse corpse for the ten-thousandth time. The brand was in disarray after what can, without hyperbole, be called a pretty disastrous launch of the Xbox One. So how far has Xbox come under Spencer’s tenure? And where’s it going from here? Let’s look back and then look forward.

To his credit, Spencer didn’t waste any time trying to clean up that mess. In May of 2014 he unbundled the Kinect motion controller from the Xbox One, thus instantly lowering the price of the console to $399 and back to price parity with Sony’s PlayStation 4. One year later at E3 2015 he announced Xbox’s extensive backwards compatibility effort to some of the loudest applause I’ve ever heard at an Xbox E3 press conference. It was a much-needed dose of player-first good news for the Xbox community.

Since then, Spencer has overseen the launch of the Xbox One S, the Xbox One X, and the Xbox Series X|S. He’s also been a driving force behind the Xbox Game Pass subscription service, which has become a major player in the gaming industry. And let’s not forget the acquisition of Bethesda and its parent company, ZeniMax Media, which was a massive move that will shape Xbox’s future for years to come.

Spencer’s tenure has been marked by a focus on player satisfaction, a commitment to preserving and expanding the Xbox brand, and a willingness to take risks. Under his leadership, Xbox has evolved from a troubled platform to a powerhouse in the gaming world. With the upcoming release of the Xbox Series X|S, it’s clear that Spencer’s influence will continue to shape the future of the Xbox ecosystem for years to come.