It's been a busy few months for Microsoft Gaming and Xbox, with Phil Spencer retiring in late February, the new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma stepping up to fill his shoes, and sweeping improvements to the Xbox ecosystem made in recent weeks — the most recent of these being a massive price cut to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (with the caveat that new Call of Duty games will no longer be on the service day one).
Another interesting move Microsoft is making for its gaming brand is hiring for a new comms role to "protect and elevate the Xbox brand." Officially, the position is titled "Senior Manager, Xbox Brand & Reputation," and whoever assumes it will be responsible for supporting the health of Xbox through "business-critical proactive and reactive work" and building relationships "with key business and industry press as well as analysts."
Applications for the role have now closed, and naturally, many in the community are curious about who threw their hat in the ring, and who will ultimately be chosen for the position. Ultimately, it's anyone's guess — though a comment from one former Xbox executive has some believing he's giving it a shot.
The executive in question is Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, who formerly served as the director of Xbox programming for nearly 20 years before leaving Microsoft in 2023. In reply to a post about the firm's job listing for the new Xbox role, Hryb said, "I think I know someone who would be perfect for that role."
I think I know someone who would be perfect for that role.April 20, 2026
This is far from anything concrete, mind — Major Nelson could simply be commenting that someone he knows would be a good fit for the position — but he could just as well be teasing his own interest in the role, too.
Longtime fans of the brand should recognize Hryb's name instantly, and will likely do so with fondness; Major Nelson frequently engaged with the Xbox community (and still does), and is widely loved and respected by many. Thus, many believe that he would be a perfect fit for this post, and I can't say I disagree.
After leaving Microsoft and Xbox in 2023, Major Nelson joined Unity as its director of community and advocacy. He was laid off from the company earlier this year, however, and while he's currently advising the team behind the revived Commodore brand, he stated that it's not his "full time gig," and that he's "working on that."
That seemingly leaves the possibility of Major Nelson returning to Microsoft and Xbox open, and folks have been wondering if he's been considering doing so ever since he met with Asha Sharma on Microsoft's campus to chat after her appointment as Xbox's new CEO.
In the end, only time will tell. But for the Xbox community and all who appreciated the ways in which Major Nelson made a point to engage with and be a part of it, it's a very exciting prospect. Personally, I would love to see him come back, provided he has genuine interest in doing so.
Are you a fan of Major Nelson? Would you like to see him return to Microsoft and Xbox? I'd love to hear from you, so share your thoughts below and vote in our poll!
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