Microsoft denies ‘blank check’ claim about Project Helix

This week, newly appointed Xbox CEO Asha Sharma announced development on the next-generation console, codenamed Project Helix, but offered few specifics. Around the same time she held an internal town hall with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and a rumor spread that Nadella had given Sharma a 'blank check' for the project.

Chief Communications Officer Frank Shaw pushed back, tweeting that the line 'Asha Sharma has my full trust and has A BLANK CHECK to revive Xbox and the trust of the fans no matter the cost' was not said. Shaw's response followed an 18-minute video by YouTuber eXtas1s that focused on the town hall and unrest at Xbox; he singled out the particular claim that Microsoft was promising unlimited resources to revive the brand.

The Project Helix announcement raised more questions than it answered. Xbox games and hardware have struggled, hampered by the 'Xbox everywhere' strategy that came out of Game Pass' initial success.

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