Larry Hryb, better known to legions of fans as Xbox’s former communications director Major Nelson, has reported being laid off from his new role at Unity.
In a post on Twitter/X, Hryb shared an image of a zero Gamerscore Xbox achievement pop-up, simply titled “Laid Off!” Over on LinkedIn, meanwhile, Hryb issued a longer post to confirm his departure from Unity, where he has served as Director of Community and Advocacy since June 2024.
“I’ve always been transparent with this community, so I wanted to share that – like a lot of people in tech and gaming right now – I was laid off from Unity,” Hryb wrote today.
— Larry Hryb, Gamer Emeritus 📱⌨️🖱️🎮 (@majornelson) January 13, 2026
Prior to Unity, Hryb found fame within the world of video games while serving as the communications boss for Xbox — a role he held for more than a decade, as part of a longer tenure at Microsoft that stretched to over 22 years. Hyrb had helped run the official Xbox podcast and kept a blog of new releases, and frequently appeared on official Xbox livestreams.
Hryb’s time at Microsoft came to end in September 2023, however, when he announced he had “decided to take a step back and work on the next chapter of my career.” At the time of his departure, Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer thanked Hryb for “being a friend, and for everything you’ve done for our Xbox community and team.”
Writing today on his exit from Unity, Hryb said he had “rebuilt their Community and Advocacy Team with a deliberate strategy that created a clearer, more connected experience for creators, developers, and gamers.
“We brought energy back to channels that had gone quiet, restored trust, and showed up consistently where it mattered,” he continued. “I elevated Unity’s visibility at PAX and key industry events, strengthened relationships, and ensured Unity had a clear voice in the broader conversation.”
Writing in response to the news, The Pokémon Company’s former legal chief Don McGowan called Hryb’s job loss “completely unacceptable” and stated: “You hire a legend, the legend leaves on his own terms if at all, and if he chooses never to leave then THAT’S THE DEAL YOU MADE WITH HISTORY!”
“Well said,” replied Jeff Williams, a former Microsoft colleague of Hryb’s. “My immediate thought was how poorly it reflected on Unity but you articulated it much better.”
As for what’s next, Hryb said he was “exploring opportunities where my experience in community leadership, platform strategy, and communications can drive growth at the intersection of hardware, software, and services.” Lastly, Hryb said that any company looking to hire could contact him via LarryHryb.com.
Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social
