Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, long one of the most recognisable presences on the Xbox team, has announced his departure from Microsoft after 22 years.
Hryb has been with Microsoft since early 2001, initially serving as editor-in-chief for MSN Music before joining the company's Xbox division two years later. As a senior product manager for Xbox, Hryb was focused on helping shape the Xbox Live community experience - he credits himself as being a key contributor in features such as Xbox's Achievement system and party chat - and would go on to become senior director of corporate communications in 2012.
Over the years, Major Nelson - a name derived form Hryb's Gamertag - has been something of a figurehead for Xbox, relaying Xbox-Live-related information to the community and having a prominent presence in its various community focused blogs, livestreams, podcasts, and shows.