Microsoft's Larry "Major Nelson" Hyrb to depart Xbox

Larry Hyrb, best known by his online handle of 'Major Nelson', announced his departure from Xbox after 20 years. 

On Twitter, he explained his decision 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 players around the world who have included me as part of their lives."

Hyrb joined Microsoft 2001 as its editor-in-chief of MSN Music, then transferred to Xbox in 2003. During his early time there, he was a key figure for the console and often associated with the both the Xbox 360 and Xbox One, the Kinect peripherals, and the Xbox Live service.

Much of his time at Xbox was as a senior programming director, where he helped contribute to the New Xbox Experience that changed Xbox Live's community features and interface. He also often gave feedback to developers on how to interact with their communities on social media.

Following the announcement, Xbox head Phil Spencer thanked Hyrb for "being a friend, and for everything you’ve done for our Xbox community and team."