Xbox’s Larry Hryb, Better Known as Major Nelson, Steps Down After 20 Years

Larry Hryb, better known as Major Nelson, has announced that he is stepping away from Xbox after spending over two decades with Microsoft.

He announced his departure from the company on Twitter, saying, “After 20 incredible years, I have decided to take a step back and work on the next chapter of my career. 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.”

He continued, “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 mentioned that the official Xbox Podcast will be paused for the summer and will come back later in a new format.

After 20 incredible years, I have decided to take a step back and work on the next chapter of my career. 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. (1/3)

— Larry Hryb ?✨ (@majornelson) July 14, 2023

Hryb started at Microsoft in 2001 as the Editor in Chief of MSN Music, becoming a Senior Project Manager on the Xbox team in 2003. He contributed to many features of Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, including the Achievement system, cloud saves, party chat, and in-game messaging. Hyrb then became senior director of corporate communications in 2012.

His executive personality name and gamertag, Major Nelson, is from the 1960s television comedy I Dream of Jeannie.

Along with Hryb’s departure, Microsoft is still‌ trying to close its merger with Activision Blizzard. The FTC appealed the decision in the recent trial against Xbox after the US courts ruled in Microsoft’s favor. However, the FTC’s attempt to pause the deal was denied until the Ninth Court of Appeals makes its decision.

George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He’s been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.

When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey