Xbox Game Studios Head Craig Duncan Resigns

The head of Xbox Game Studios, Craig Duncan, has stepped down after 18 months. He took over from Alan Hartman in November 2021 and managed several studios, including Rare and The Coalition. Duncan leaves this week, and his studios will now report to Matt Booty, who is the Chief Content Officer at Xbox.

Duncan has worked with Xbox since 2011 and is known for leading the UK studio Rare for nearly 14 years. He was in charge during the development of popular games like Kinect and Sea of Thieves. Before joining Xbox, Duncan held senior roles at Codemasters, Midway, and Sumo Digital, working on well-known games like Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing.

In addition, Louise O’Connor, the chief of staff at Xbox Game Studios, will also leave the company. She joined Rare in 1999 and worked in various roles, including voice acting in the game Viva Piñata. O’Connor left Rare after the cancellation of a game called Everwild in 2025, and later became chief of staff.

In his farewell email to the team, Duncan expressed pride in the successful game launches during his time and praised O’Connor for her support and creativity.

How much do you know?

Who stepped down as the head of Xbox Game Studios?

Alan Hartman

Craig Duncan

Matt Booty

Louise O’Connor

How long did Craig Duncan serve as the head of Xbox Game Studios?

12 months

18 months

2 years

14 years

Which studio did Craig Duncan lead for nearly 14 years?

Codemasters

The Coalition

Rare

Sumo Digital

Who will Craig Duncan's studios report to after his departure?

Alan Hartman

Matt Booty

Louise O’Connor

Phil Spencer

Which game was developed during Duncan's tenure at Rare?

Viva Piñata

Sea of Thieves

Everwild

Sonic

What role did Louise O’Connor have at Xbox Game Studios?

Chief Content Officer

Head of Xbox Game Studios

Chief of Staff

Studio Manager

Craig Duncan took over as head of Xbox Game Studios in November 2021.

True False

Louise O’Connor joined Xbox in 2005.

True False

The game Everwild was canceled in 2025.

True False

Craig Duncan worked with Xbox for a decade prior to stepping down.

True False

Matt Booty is the Chief Content Officer at Xbox.

True False

Duncan was in charge of development at Codemasters during his time at Xbox.

True False

Craig Duncan has worked with Xbox since 2011 and has managed several studios, including .

Louise O’Connor joined Rare in and worked in various roles.

Duncan was the head of Xbox Game Studios for months.

Duncan expressed pride in the successful game during his time.

O’Connor was involved in voice acting in the game Piñata.

Duncan leaves Xbox Game Studios and his studios will now report to Booty.

This question is required