Major Nelson is leaving Xbox after more than 20 years

Xbox director of programming Larry Hryb, better known as Major Nelson, has announced that he is leaving Microsoft after more than two decades at the company.

Hryb began his 22-year career at Microsoft working as MSN Music's editor-in-chief before joining the Xbox division, where he was embedded with the development team as a senior project manager and helped shape the Xbox Live community experience. According to Hryb, he worked on features such as the Xbox achievement system, in-game messaging system, party chat, and more before going on to become senior director of corporate communications in 2012.

Major Nelson to leave Xbox after more than two decades

Major Nelson Is Leaving Xbox After Two Decades

"After 20 incredible years, I have decided to take a step back and work on the next chapter of my career," Hryb announced on Twitter. "As I take a moment and think about all we have done together, I want to thank the millions of gamers around the world who have included me as part of their lives.

"Also, thanks to Xbox team members for trusting me to have a direct dialogue with our customers. The future is bright for Xbox, and as a gamer, I am excited to see the evolution."

Hryb also confirmed that Xbox's official podcast would be taking a hiatus this summer and will return in a new format.

Industry News

Written by Sean Carey

With a deep love for Xbox and achievements, Sean has committed to playing the best RPGs, racing games, and first-person shooters Xbox Game Pass and his precious free time will allow. Prior to joining TrueAchievements, Sean gained a degree in journalism from Solent University.