Craig Duncan, the head of Xbox Game Studios, along with Chief of Staff Louise O'Connor, have announced their departure from their roles

Image credit: Xbox

Recently, Craig Duncan, who has been at the helm of Xbox Game Studios for one and a half years, has decided to exit his position, as outlined in The Game Business. His departure coincides with that of his chief of staff, Louise O'Connor, who exits after under twelve months in her role.

Under Duncan’s leadership, Xbox Game Studios managed a broad array of internal divisions including, but not limited to, inXile, Obsidian, Playground Games, and Ninja Theory. Until the organization appoints a new leader, Matt Booty, Xbox's Chief Content Officer, will take charge of managing these groups. Before assuming this leadership role in November 2024, Duncan spent over a decade as the head at Rare and held senior positions at Sumo Digital and Midway Games, among others. O'Connor, with over 25 years at Rare, had reached the position of Executive Producer for Everwild before transitioning into her chief of staff role last August.

Their resignations come amidst speculations about significant organizational changes within Xbox, led by CEO Asha Sharma, who is contemplating substantial job cuts as part of a strategic realignment. In a substantial investment surge, the firm’s revenue took a hit despite expenditures above $20 billion over the last five years. Recently, Sharma incorporated several leadership figures from her previous collaborations at Instacart and Microsoft's CoreAI division, in addition to hiring Matthew Ball as Chief Strategy Officer, noted for his expertise in industry analysis.

In correspondence with employees, as documented by The Game Business, Duncan reflected, “In assuming the leadership of XGS 20 months prior, the goal was to support our teams in crafting high-quality games while fostering a strong cultural foundation among our studios. I'm proud to have overseen several successful launches that have contributed significantly to our success.”

He also commended O’Connor as "a thoughtful, creative, and trusted partner” who ardently advocated for the craft and nurtured the studios with precision and care. He concluded by expressing confidence in her future endeavors.