That's according to The Game Business , which claims that Duncan's chief of staff, Louise O'Connor, is also leaving the company, less than a year after joining. Duncan accepted the role in 2024 after the previous boss, Alan Hartman, retired, but has been part of Xbox since 2011 and was the head of Microsoft 's Sea of Thieves studio, Rare, for 14 years. His role as CEO meant he oversaw many Xbox-owned studios, such as Rare, as well as Halo Studios, The Coalition, Flight Sim, Turn 10, Playground Games, Obsidian, Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, The Initiative, Double Fine, InXile, Undead Labs, and more. TechRadar is the main source layer for now, and the rest should be read as a signal that is still widening. In gaming, even a smaller signal matters when it reveals where the community is focusing faster than the publisher can frame it.
What is happening now
That's according to The Game Business , which claims that Duncan's chief of staff, Louise O'Connor, is also leaving the company, less than a year after joining. TechRadar form the main source layer behind the core facts in this piece. This is still a developing thread, so the useful part is knowing which source signals are hardening and which ones still need caution. In gaming, the meaningful changes are the ones that touch frame rate, latency, release timing, or the things players will keep talking about for days.
Where the sources line up
TechRadar is the main source layer for now, and the rest should be read as a signal that is still widening. Duncan accepted the role in 2024 after the previous boss, Alan Hartman, retired, but has been part of Xbox since 2011 and was the head of Microsoft 's Sea of Thieves studio, Rare, for 14 years. TechRadar form the main source layer behind the core facts in this piece.
The details worth keeping
His role as CEO meant he oversaw many Xbox-owned studios, such as Rare, as well as Halo Studios, The Coalition, Flight Sim, Turn 10, Playground Games, Obsidian, Ninja Theory, Compulsion Games, The Initiative, Double Fine, InXile, Undead Labs, and more. In gaming, even a smaller signal matters when it reveals where the community is focusing faster than the publisher can frame it.
Why this matters most
The signal is strong enough to deserve attention, but it still needs to be read as something developing rather than fully settled. With 1 source layers on the table, the part worth reading most closely is where firm facts meet the market's early reaction. The important part is whether this change carries beyond the headline and becomes tangible in real product use.
What to watch next
The next thing to watch is whether amid reports of closures to ninja theory and compulsion games, xbox game studios ceo craig duncan is stepping down from the role after less than two years stays a community spike or develops into a clearer shift. Patrick Tech Media will keep checking rollout speed, user reaction, and how TechRadar update the next pieces. From 1 early signals, the piece keeps 1 references that are useful for locking the main details in place.