Craig Duncan has stepped down as the head of Xbox Game Studios, concluding a tenure of less than two years in the role. Duncan will depart Microsoft this week. He had assumed leadership of Xbox Game Studios in 2024, succeeding Alan Hartman.
Prior to heading Xbox Game Studios, Duncan led the studio Rare, a position he held from 2011. During his time at Rare, he was involved with titles such as Sea of Thieves. The studios that previously reported to Duncan include Halo Studios, The Coalition, Turn 10, Playground Games, Rare, Obsidian, Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, The Initiative, Double Fine, InXile, Undead Labs, World’s Edge, and XGS Publishing.
In the interim, and until a successor is appointed, the studios under Duncan's purview will report to Matt Booty. Booty was appointed Xbox's chief content officer in February as part of a broader leadership realignment.
Duncan's departure follows that of Louise O'Connor, formerly Xbox Game Studios' chief of staff and another alum from Rare. In an internal email, Duncan stated his goal upon taking the role was to serve the studios, teams, and developers, citing successful launches and business growth. He also expressed gratitude for O'Connor's contributions, describing her as a supportive partner.
Duncan's exit occurs during a period of substantial change for Xbox. In February, Asha Sharma assumed leadership of Xbox, succeeding Phil Spencer, and Sarah Bond also departed the company. Since then, Sharma has implemented changes to the Xbox Game Pass model, discontinued the "This is an Xbox" campaign, and has indicated a focus on next-generation Xbox hardware, codenamed Project Helix. Recent reports also indicate that Xbox is reducing budgets and preparing for layoffs as part of Sharma's strategic business reset.