Xbox's Major Nelson is leaving the company

Major Nelson
(Image credit: Xbox)

Xbox's veteran director of programming, Larry Hryb, often affectionally referred to as Major Nelson, has announced he is leaving the company.

In a tweet, Hryb suggested that he isn't retiring, but instead stepping away from the company to do something else with his career.

"After 20 incredible years, I have decided to take a step back and work on the next chapter of my career," he said. "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."

Hryb has long been the face and voice of Xbox both through shepherding the Xbox Live product group and via his community-oriented blog, which ultimately became central to Microsoft's PR strategy and community building. He also hosted the Official Xbox Podcast, which will be entering a hiatus and re-emerging at an unspecified date "in a new format."

"What's next? Going take some time to spend time with my family (no really!) and enjoy the Seattle Summer," Hryb added. "As many of you know, I never really took time off....so now I will take that opportunity."

Xbox boss Phil Spencer was quick to react to the news of Hryb's exit, and he expressed gratitude for his tenure and thanked him for his friendship.

Hryb has yet to indicate his next career move, and it's also unclear as yet who, if anyone, will step into fill the gigantic shoes of Hryb at Xbox.

In the meantime, here are the best Xbox Series X games you can play today.

CATEGORIES
Jordan Gerblick

After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer, I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.

Read more
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Insomniac founder departing after 30 years of helping bring Spyro, Ratchet, and Spider-Man to life
Final Fantasy 14
Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P quietly removed from Square Enix's board after years of wanting out: "It's much more fun to just make games"
Xbox Game Pass showing Avowed, Indiana Jones, Black Ops 6 and more
With Indiana Jones and Forza Horizon 5 ports, Phil Spencer isn't "trying to move" Nintendo Switch and PS5 players "over to Xbox anymore"
Hi-Fi Rush
Microsoft veteran and former Blizzard president knows "loyal Xbox gamers are mad" about exclusives launching on PS5 and Nintendo Switch but "that isn't going to change anything"
Two Helldivers pull a classic fart gag
Despite shifting gear to Arrowhead's next game after a sabbatical, studio CEO clarifies that Helldivers 2 creative lead Johan Pilestedt will "absolutely still be involved"
a halo screenshot put on a nintendo switch 2 screen
Nintendo Switch 2 may be getting more Xbox titles as Phil Spencer is "really looking forward to supporting them with the games that we have"
Latest in Xbox
FC 25
FC 25 FUT Birthday guide and full cards list
Original Xbox console
Former Microsoft exec says the first Xbox was killed early in favor of 360 because it was "losing money left right and center," but luckily "we could afford to hemorrhage cash"
A Monster Hunter Wilds character holding binoculars.
Despite Monster Hunter Wilds suffering monstrous performance problems on PC, it still outsold the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in the US
Skyrim
It took Skyrim players nearly 15 years to discover ingenious loot hack that completely changes the game and, uh, requires you to desecrate a couple corpses
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Indy hanging onto a vine as in Raiders of the Lost Ark
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle PS5 release date reportedly set for April after ESRB leak
Mio and Zoe holding a dragon during the trailer for Split Fiction.
Split Fiction blows It Takes Two out of the water by selling 1 million copies in 2 days, becoming Hazelight's fastest selling game ever
Latest in News
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
5 years after starting development, Neil Druckmann says Naughty Dog's new game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "still evolving and changing as we're making it"
Silent Hill f
After 2 years of silence, the next mainline Silent Hill game is getting a dedicated stream this week with "the latest news"
Original Xbox console
Former Microsoft exec says the first Xbox was killed early in favor of 360 because it was "losing money left right and center," but luckily "we could afford to hemorrhage cash"
A Monster Hunter Wilds character holding binoculars.
Despite Monster Hunter Wilds suffering monstrous performance problems on PC, it still outsold the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in the US
Jordan A. Mun looks at herself in a mirror in just a vest in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet screenshot
The Last of Us creator Neil Druckmann says Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet will also be about "being lonely," as if his zombie apocalypse wasn’t isolating enough: "I really want you to be lost"
A screenshot of Jordan drinking a soda during the reveal trailer for Intergalactic: The Hertic Prophet.
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is "a game about faith and religion," which Neil Druckmann jokes will surely get less hate than The Last of Us 2