Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb Has Been Laid Off From Unity

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Larry Hryb, also known as Major Nelson to long-time Xbox fans, has announced he was laid off from Unity. He had been working there as director of community and advocacy, joining the game engine company in 2024 and helping to rebuild its community team.

Hryb recently announced he was laid off from Unity, joining many others in the tech and gaming industries facing similar situations. He shared this news with his community, as he always strives to be open with them, and also highlighted some of his achievements at Unity, such as increasing the company’s presence at events like PAX.

As a long-time Microsoft fan, I was really excited to see what this person would bring to Unity when they joined in 2024! It sounds like they totally revamped the community side of things, making it a much better experience for everyone – creators, developers, and players. They didn’t just try to do everything at once, but had a real plan to bring back energy to places that had become stagnant, rebuild trust with the community, and consistently be present where people were talking. Plus, they really boosted Unity’s presence at events like PAX and made sure Unity was a strong voice in the gaming industry as a whole. It’s awesome to hear about positive changes like this!

After 22 years with Microsoft, where he became a key voice for Xbox and previously served as director of programming, Hryb moved on. He consistently emphasized the importance of open and honest communication with fans during his time at Microsoft, and he now highlights that same principle as crucial to Unity’s success.

As a fan, it’s awesome to hear how much effort went into improving Unity! From what I understand, a big part of it was just really focusing on communication. They didn’t just talk at us, they told better stories and worked hard to rebuild trust in the brand. I especially appreciate that they met us where we already were – experimenting with new platforms to reach everyone. What really stood out to me is how they connected what the community wanted with the actual development of the platform, making everything feel much more unified. It’s clear the team put in a lot of work to make that connection real again, and it’s something I’m genuinely proud to see.

Hryb is now seeking new roles where he can use his skills in community building and platform development.

I believe embracing change leads to personal growth. I’m currently seeking a role where I can leverage my skills in community building, strategic planning, and communication to help a company expand, particularly one that connects physical products with digital platforms and services. I’m passionate about environments where everything works seamlessly to benefit both content creators and users.

Larry Hryb, known as Major Nelson, first gained recognition while working at Xbox. He started the Major Nelson Radio podcast, which later became the Official Xbox Podcast. Because of his position at the company, he became a key source of information for gamers about everything Xbox, including new game releases, downloadable content, and upcoming hardware. Later in his career at Microsoft, he helped create communication strategies for launching games, hardware, and services worldwide.

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2026-01-15 16:41