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Mike Ybarra, corporate vice president of Xbox Live, Xbox Game Pass and Mixer, announced that he has left Microsoft after two decades spent working with the tech giant (via Video Games Chronicle).
After 20 years at Microsoft, it’s time for my next adventure. It’s been a great ride at Xbox and the future is bright. Thanks to everyone at TeamXbox, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished and I wish you the best. More soon on what’s next for me (super excited)! 1/2…
— Mike Ybarra (@XboxQwik) October 9, 2019
Most importantly I want to thank all of you fellow gamers, and our great fans, for all the support. Keep gaming and I hope to see you online soon!” 2/2 #gamers https://t.co/1eK6p7ppYe
— Mike Ybarra (@XboxQwik) October 9, 2019
In 1999, Ybarra began his career with Microsoft as a program manager, to implement and boost key Windows and application platform features. From then on, he took on a variety of roles including general manager for Windows 7 and the Xbox Live team, partner studio manager for Xbox Studios, and corporate vice president of program management for Xbox. As such, he was instrumental to games like Gears of War 3, Sunset Overdrive, and Quantum Break, and of course to services such as Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Live, and Mixer.
In his announcement on Twitter, he expressed his gratitude for the opportunities and experiences he gained from Microsoft. ‘It’s been a great ride at Xbox and the future is bright,’ he said. ‘Thanks to everyone at TeamXbox, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished and I wish you the best.’ He kept mum on his next venture, but he will tell all soon: ‘I’m not done giving every ounce of energy I have to try and make gaming better for everyone.’
Head of Xbox Phil Spencer thanked Ybarra for his ‘many contributions to Microsoft and Xbox’ over the years, and Xbox Live director of programming Larry ‘Major Nelson’ Hryb wished him well and said that the team would miss him.
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