Xbox Game Studios Head Alan Hartman Retires, to be Replaced by Rare Boss Craig Duncan

Xbox Game Studios Head Alan Hartman Retires, to be Replaced by Rare Boss Craig Duncan

As a long-time fan who has witnessed the evolution of Xbox Game Studios over the years, it’s always fascinating to see the changes that occur behind the scenes. The retirement of Alan Hartman, a pioneer who brought us the iconic Forza franchise, marks the end of an era but also the beginning of new opportunities.


The leadership within Microsoft’s in-house game development portfolio is undergoing some adjustments. Alan Hartman, who previously led Turn 10 Studios, the team behind Forza Motorsport, was appointed as the head of Xbox Game Studios last November. However, recent reports (via GamesIndustry) indicate that Hartman plans to retire.

Hartman is relinquishing his current position, and Craig Duncan, head of Rare, will take over. In this new role, he will be responsible for managing all Xbox studios not under the ownership of Bethesda and Activision Blizzard, such as Halo Studios, The Coalition, Rare, Turn 10 Studios, Playground Games, The Initiative, Double Fine Productions, and other similar entities.

In the near future, Joe Neate, currently serving as executive producer for Sea of Thieves, and Jim Horth, in his role as studio director, will take over as the new leaders at Rare, replacing Duncan.

In a message addressed to the entire team, Matt Booty, the head of studios and game content at Xbox, announced the information.

The email states that Alan’s professional journey is characterized by creativity, devotion, and an enduring enthusiasm for video games. Beginning his career as a contractor at Microsoft in the initial CD-ROM team back in 1988, Alan has been involved with numerous projects during his tenure. These range from Age of Empires to Brute Force, serving as the head of Digital Anvil, and eventually founding Turn 10.

“Over the years, Alan, Turn 10, and Playground Games delivered 13 Forza Motorsport and Forza Horizon games, building Forza into one of the top racing franchises in the world and regularly pushing the capabilities of our hardware. His work to advance accessibility in gaming has set a benchmark for the industry and under his leadership, Xbox Game Studios has shipped multiple critically acclaimed titles this year and set the stage for highly anticipated games like Avowed, South of Midnight, Fable, and more.”

In his latest position, Craig will persistently work towards ensuring our studios produce premium, unique gaming experiences capable of evolving into thriving series and expanding their player base, by channeling resources into novel intellectual properties.

2025 will see a variety of exclusive games from Microsoft, with “Fable,” “South of Midnight,” and “Avowed” among them as previously mentioned. There are rumors that “Gears of War: E-Day” might debut next year as well. Besides the Xbox Game Studios collection, other first-party releases slated for 2025 include “DOOM: The Dark Ages” and the upcoming “Call of Duty.

Read More

2024-10-14 18:11