Summary
Microsoft has undergone a series of massive changes to its staffing structures across multiple divisions in recent months, and the latest big shakeup to be announced is the retirement of Alan Hartman as head ofXbox Game Studios. Hartman had worked withMicrosoftfor over 25 years on a number of key franchises likeForzaandAge of Empires, and his new replacement comes from an unexpected studio with its own big name releases.
During his time with Xbox Game Studios, Hartman contributed greatly to the improvement ofaccessibility features in gamingand shipped multiple critically acclaimed titles. As he prepares to step down from his position, gamers are excitedly discussing the next leader who will step in to fill his shoes.
As reported byGamesIndustry.biz, Alan Hartman is stepping down as head of Xbox Game Studios and will be replaced by Craig Duncan of Rare. Duncan has served as the head of Rare for over 14 years and led the launch of the hit live-service pirate gameSea of Thieves. Duncan’s new role will encompass the management of multiple Xbox teams, including Halo Studios, Obsidian, Double Fine, Compulsion Games, and more. He will continue to oversee Rare in his new leadership position, working alongside his own replacements, Joe Neate and Jim Horth. Duncan is expected to focus on aiding Xbox Game Studios’s development of successful franchises andnew IPs for Microsoft.
The news of Xbox Game Studios changing its leadership comes amid rather tumultuous times at Microsoft. In September,Microsoft announced more gaming division layoffswhich impacted roughly 650 employees. This came after massive rounds of cutbacks over the summer, as well as the termination of 1,900 staff in January. As such, many are skeptical about the direction of Microsoft’s restructuring, though audiences are hopeful that Craig Duncan will help to lead Xbox Game Studios in a positive direction. Whether any other major changes will come to Xbox Game Studios remains to be seen, leaving many to speculate on the future of the publisher.
AsMicrosoft continues to announce major layoffs, fans may be weary of any changes made to leadership positions. The video game industry as a whole has seen entire studios shut down and in-development projects canceled following executive swaps. However, analysts and experts have predicted the unfortunate layoff trends to taper off, as companies find new leaders to steer studios in the right direction.Xbox Game Studioshas a number of exciting projects for fans to look forward to, and Craig Duncan is looking to stay on the course towards success.
