Xbox Game Studios boss Alan Hartman is set to retire at the end of November, ending a 30-year career at Microsoft. He was replaced by Craig Duncan, the head of the Rare studio, which was bought by Microsoft in 2002. To fill Duncan’s departure from the studio, Joe Neate and Jim Horth will apparently take over as Rare’s co-heads. in internal memory seen by The Verge:
In his new role, Craig will continue to focus on helping our studios deliver high-quality, differentiated gaming experiences that can grow into successful franchises and reach more players by investing in new IP. Craig will report to me and join the Game Content and Studios leadership team, working closely with Alan during the transition. The existing XGS leadership team, Alan, will remain intact and report to Craig.
I am also pleased to announce that Joe Neate and Jim Horth will take over as co-CEOs of Rare. Their leadership has been instrumental in the growth of Nadir and I am confident that they will continue to take the studio and its games to greater heights.
Interestingly, Hartman was the head of Xbox Game Studios for less than a year. Hartman spent nearly two decades at the helm of Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 last year. His retirement is somewhat surprising, but since it’s not because of any controversy at the company, it’s likely because he wants to retire from 30 years at Microsoft.
This leadership change comes about a month after Microsoft . These layoffs are related to the acquisition decision in 2022 . While no games have been canceled, this change of leadership could be a change in Xbox Game Studios’ future plans.
