“Major Nelson” Larry Hryb Leaves Microsoft After 20 Years as Xbox’s Loyal Hype Man

The Xbox brand is going through a period of major change. On the one hand, Microsoft will soon close their massive $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. On the other hand, Xbox staples like Halo aren’t what they used to be. Well, in yet another sign of the changing tides at Xbox, today Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb has announced he’s stepping away from the company.

As director of programming for Xbox Live, Hryb was, for many years, essentially the face of the Xbox brand. Hryb was a different kind of executive, mixing with regular players and participating in numerous online communities under the Major Nelson Gamertag. He would further evangelize the Xbox brand through his Major Nelson blog, podcasts, and numerous appearances on various Xbox pressers and showcases. In recent years, Phil Spencer has arguably supplanted Hryb as the face of Xbox, but Major Nelson remained a constant and enthusiastic presence.

Well, apparently that’s coming to an end. Hryb posted the following farewell statement to Twitter…

“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. 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

P.S. The official Xbox Podcast will be taking a hiatus this Summer and will come back in a new format.”

Hryb hasn’t provided any clues as to what the “next chapter of my career” might be, but he can look back proudly at how he’s contributed to Xbox over the past two decades. The Xbox brand has had its ups and down, but the management of Xbox Live has always been a high point.

Pour one out for the Major. Anybody out there had any memorable interactions, online or otherwise, with Major Nelson over the years?