Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan and Chief of Staff Louise O'Connor step down | GamesIndustry.biz
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Xbox Game Studios boss Craig Duncan and Chief of Staff Louise O'Connor step down
Leadership figures with long history at Rare depart the organisation amid plans for business "reset"
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by Jon Hicks<br>Editorial Director
Published on June 15, 2026
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Craig Duncan, the leader of Xbox Games Studios, has departed the business after eighteen months in the role, according to a report in The Game Business. His chief of staff Louise O'Connor is also leaving, less than a year after joining.
Duncan oversaw the company's sprawling collection of internal studios including Halo Studios, inXile, Ninja Theory, Obsidian, Playground Games, Rare, The Coalition, Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Flight Sim, Turn 10 Studios, Undead Labs, World’s Edge and Xbox Game Studios Publishing. He leaves this week; the studios will report to Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty until a replacement is found.
Duncan previously spent nearly 14 years as studio head at Rare before taking on the portfolio role in November 2024, and previously held senior roles at Sumo Digital, Midway Games and Codemasters. O'Connor was also a Rare veteran, spending over 25 years with the studio and rising to Executive Producer leading Everwild. She moved to Xbox Game Studios as Chief of Staff in August last year.
Their departures follow a report that Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is looking at sweeping job cuts at the company, having spoken of a need to "reset the business" after it spent over $20 billion over a five-year period during which revenue deteriorated by nearly $500 million. Sharma recently hired five executives she'd worked with previously at Instacart and Microsoft's CoreAI division, later adding industry analyst Matthew Ball as Chief Strategy Officer.
In an email to staff, as reported by The Game Business, Duncan wrote “When I stepped into the role of leading XGS 20 months ago, my purpose was to serve our studios, our teams, and the people making our games. Together, we set out to deliver high-quality games, strengthen the cultural fabric across our studios, and help shape the future of the business. I’m proud to say we delivered many flawless launches that drove business success for the company.”
He described O’Connor as "a thoughtful, creative, and trusted partner who has consistently championed the craft and supported our studios with clarity and care. I’m grateful for everything she’s brought to XGS, and I’m sure she’ll be successful in whatever comes next for her.”
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