Craig Duncan, head of Rare, promoted to director of Xbox Game Studios.
Alan Hartman is retiring after more than 30 years at Microsoft.
Microsoft has decided to promote Craig Duncan, the current head of the Rare studio, to the position of head of Xbox Game Studios, following Alan Hartman's retirement announcement. This leadership change comes less than a year after Hartman took the role, following Matt Booty's promotion to an expanded position as President of Content and Game Studios.
In an email sent today to Xbox employees, which was shared with some media outlets, Matt Booty announced that Hartman will retire at the end of November, concluding over 30 years of career within Microsoft. Alan Hartman began his journey in 1988 in the CD-ROM group and throughout his career participated in the development of important titles such as Age of Empires, Brute Force, and played a key role in founding Turn 10, home of Forza Motorsport, as well as in creating other renowned games.
With Duncan's promotion, he is expected to continue focusing on helping studios deliver high-quality and differentiated gaming experiences that translate into successful franchises, as well as investing in new intellectual properties. Joe Neate and Jim Horth will take on roles as co-leaders of Rare while the team moves forward with projects like Sea of Thieves and the upcoming action-adventure game, Everwild.
Booty praised Hartman, highlighting his innovation and passion for video games and mentioning his significant impact on the industry, especially in the area of accessibility. The leadership transition will take place in a continuity environment, as the previous leadership team of Xbox Game Studios, established by Hartman, will remain and report to Duncan.
The Xbox community hopes that Duncan, with his extensive experience gained from companies like Codemasters, Midway Games, and Sumo Digital, can successfully carry out this new phase, leveraging Rare's sustained success and the growth of its flagship franchise, Sea of Thieves.
