Real-life Xbox mascot Larry Hryb — better known by his gamertag, Major Nelson — is leaving Microsoft after 20 years. He announced his departure on social media, saying that it’s time he takes a step back to “work on the next chapter” of his career. He signed off by thanking the Xbox team for always allowing him to have a direct line of communication with Xbox players. The Official Xbox Podcast, which Major Nelson oversaw for the majority of the time Xbox has existed as a brand, will also be taking a break for the summer with plans to return with a new format.
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.
Thank and I’ll see you online
Larry Hryb(2/3)
— Larry Hryb
(@majornelson) July 14, 2023
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Major Nelson got his start at Microsoft as editor-in-chief of MSN Music and worked his way up to senior director of corporate communications, but simply listing his titles undersells the value he brought to the company. For many, Major Nelson is seen as one of the first notable gaming personalities thanks to his relentless ability to communicate with Xbox consumers and his generally friendly attitude. Others have tried to replicate his genuine personality, but not many have succeeded at the scale that he did. Moreover, Major Nelson was instrumental in the success of Xbox Live from 2003 to 2012, with some of his contributions including the implementation of the Achievement system, in-game messaging, and party chat. In other words, there is no telling where Xbox would be without Major Nelson.
Major Nelson leaving Xbox marks the end of an era, and it will be interesting to see how Microsoft and The Official Xbox Podcast bounce back from his leave.