Key information
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced in an October 8 memo that Maria Angelidou-Smith will become the new CEO of Mojang and Minecraft. Angelidou-Smith, previously the chief product officer at Reddit, is scheduled to begin her tenure on October 19. She will report directly to Sharma, succeeding Kayleen Walters.
Walters, who led Mojang since February 2025, is transitioning to head XP, a new division focused on merchandise, film, television, and live experiences. During her leadership, Minecraft sales grew from 350 million to over 425 million copies.
Angelidou-Smith brings experience from Meta, where she managed Facebook Groups and monetization, and Personio. Sharma noted that because Mojang possesses a strong development team, the company sought a leader experienced in building community-focused products at scale. Her initial priority is engaging with the staff and player base.
The appointment aligns with Xbox's strategy of treating Minecraft as a platform. The game currently attracts over 300,000 new players daily, with the upcoming The Sift dimension expansion slated for 2027. While no monetization changes were confirmed, the focus on her background in that area has raised concerns among some players.
