Longtime Xbox ambassador Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb is leaving Microsoft

Larry Hryb, affectionately known in the Xbox community as Major Nelson, has announced his departure from Microsoft.

According to Hryb, he will leave the firm to work on “the next chapter” of his career.

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

“Also, thanks to the members of the Xbox team 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 that evolve.”

Hryb joined Microsoft in 2001 as editor-in-chief of MSN Music before becoming director of programming for Xbox Live. Writing Major Nelson’s blog, he provided an inside look at operations in the Xbox division and was also heavily involved in the development of early Microsoft consoles, Xbox Live, Kinect, and more.

He also hosted a weekly podcast called Major Nelson Radio where he did interviews and talked about consoles, tech, gadgets, and all things Xbox.

Hryb said that with his departure, the Official Xbox Podcast will go on hiatus this summer, after which it will return with a new format.