Larry Hryb, better known as Xbox hype man Major Nelson, has been laid off from Unity less than 2 years after joining the company

Larry Hryb at Xbox Fanfest Mexico, 2023 — (Image credit: Larry Hryb (Twitter))

Nineteen months after joining Unity as its director of community and advocacy, Larry Hryb, who spent much of a 20 year career at Microsoft as Xbox hype man Major Nelson, has been laid off.

Hryb shared the news in a message on LinkedIn, writing, "I've always been transparent with this community, so I wanted to share that—like a lot of people in tech and gaming right now—I was laid off from Unity."

Layoffs are all too common in the videogame industry, and that's as true for engine-maker Unity as it is for anyone: The past few years have seen the company make deep cuts to its workforce, close multiple offices, and alienate its users with a runtime fee that CEO Matthew Bromberg, who took over in May 2024 after the departure of perpetual bad idea machine John Riccitiello, later described as "insane."

Hryb's layoff is notable even amidst all that because, as former Bungie general counsel Don McGowan put it, he's "a fucking icon." And it's true: Hryb joined Microsoft in 2001 as editor-in-chief of MSN Music, soon after which he became senior project manager at Xbox. He subsequently launched the Major Nelson Radio podcast, later known as the Official Xbox Podcast, and became a household name among gamers.

Hryb said he took that same approach with him to Unity. "During my time there, I rebuilt their Community and Advocacy Team with a deliberate strategy that created a clearer, more connected experience for creators, developers, and gamers," he wrote. "We brought energy back to channels that had gone quiet, restored trust, and showed up consistently where it mattered. I elevated Unity's visibility at PAX and key industry events, strengthened relationships, and ensured Unity had a clear voice in the broader conversation.

"Good communication was critical to that work. We told better stories, rebuilt confidence in the brand, and experimented with emerging platforms to meet audiences where they already were. We aligned community engagement directly with product strategy, so creators and players experienced a more cohesive Unity. Making that connection tangible again was meaningful, and I'm proud of what the team accomplished."

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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