We have reported several times that times are very tough in the gaming world. Fortunately, the biggest redundancies seem to have slowed down a bit, but we still hear all too often about people losing their livelihoods. Recently we reported that Meta is shutting down Twisted Pixel and Sanzaru Games, and that Sweden’s Massive has had to lay off 55 The Division and Star Wars Outlaws developers.
Now we want to tell you about another layoff that shows how difficult things can be. If you’ve played Xbox, or at least followed the format, you probably remember Larry “Major Nelson” Hrybwho was the face of the Xbox team and responsible for the community side. Three years ago he left the Xbox team and in 2024 it was revealed that he had moved to Unity (the game engine company)
But now, less than two years later, he has involuntarily left his position at Unity, which may be related to the company’s financial problems with a sharp decline in revenue. Via Bluesky he writes:
“As many of you have been with me throughout my career in gaming, I would like to share some personal news. Like many in the gaming industry recently, I have been laid off from Unity
After leaving Microsoft, I joined the Unity team in 2024. I’m proud of the goals my team and I accomplished in just 18 months, and I’m grateful for the creators and teams I had the opportunity to support. Now I can’t wait to explore the next chapter.”
We don’t know what will happen next, but Hryb seems to have several offers to choose from, and he seems to be open to changing careers entirely:
“I’ve had invigorating conversations over the past few weeks with companies inside and outside the tech industry to discuss partnerships. I love what I do, but I also believe that change is necessary. I’ll let you know what I’m doing now.”
We of course wish him the best of luck, and regret that he may be leaving the industry. He is definitely the type of person we need more of in the gaming world.
