A Microsoft executive who spent nearly 4 decades at the company has revealed that he was among those affected by the latest wave of layoffs, marking the end of a 37-year career.
In a LinkedIn post, Kevin LaChapelle, Vice President of Xbox Platform, announced that he had been laid off as part of Microsoft's ongoing restructuring. "I will add my name to the list of people who were laid off today at Xbox. This ends my 37 years at Microsoft," he wrote.
Reflecting on his career, LaChapelle said that some of his proudest moments came while leading the engineering team behind Xbox's Backward Compatibility programme, which allows newer Xbox consoles to run games from older generations.
{{/usCountry}}Reflecting on his career, LaChapelle said that some of his proudest moments came while leading the engineering team behind Xbox's Backward Compatibility programme, which allows newer Xbox consoles to run games from older generations.
{{/usCountry}}"I will say my fondest memories are of leading the team of very talented engineers who built the Xbox Backward Compatibility program. Sitting in the auditorium when Phil announced the program at E3 2015 was incredible. The audience's reaction was unbelievable," he wrote.
He added that he later led the team responsible for Xbox Cloud Gaming and said he believes "all entertainment will eventually become streamed" to users wherever they are. "I look forward to watching how Xbox evolves going forward and I wish the team nothing but success," he said.
Concluding his post, LaChapelle wished the Xbox team success and thanked former Xbox executive Kareem Choudhry.
"I will say that one person truly made a lasting impact on me while in Xbox and I want to thank Kareem Choudhry for being the best manager I had at Microsoft and ultimately someone I am happy to say is a good friend," he wrote.
According to his LinkedIn profile, LaChapelle joined Microsoft in 1989 and worked across multiple divisions before becoming Vice President of Xbox Platform.
(Also Read: Xbox employee impacted by layoffs urges ex-colleagues to prioritise rest, recovery before job hunting)
Social media reactions
LaChapelle's post drew an outpouring of support from the gaming and tech community, with many praising his contributions to Xbox.
"I'm sorry to hear this. 40 years career for a man, 37 years is definitely a significant milestone and commitment. On the bright side, The impact you've made won't end here, it will continue to be felt for years to come. And if you choose to bring your experience and wisdom to new opportunities, your influence will only grow. Sometimes when one door closes, another opens to possibilities we never expected. I wish you all the very best in whatever you set out to achieve in the future," one user wrote.
"So sorry. Going through the same thing with my main gig right now. It's wild. I wasn't there very long, but it's how my family carries our insurance, so that is stressful. I hope that you land on your feet. The XBOX backward compatibility program is a huge part of what I do when it comes to being a gamer. I love being able to go back and play my older games without having to get out all of the old consoles to make it happen," commented another.
"The backcompat feature is a standout reason that I use Xbox consoles in my personal life and not just for work. Simple but effective, the way many features should be. I'm sorry this leg of the journey is ending so unceremoniously, but I wish you all the best for whatever comes next!" wrote a third user.
"Kevin, this is a real loss for Microsoft. There are very few managers who can see and grow potential in people the way you do, and none who fight for their teams with the same conviction. It was an honor to work for you and to become friends. You've got many more adventures ahead, and you're going to crush every one of them," said another.
(Also Read: Laid-off Xbox engineer says he poured 'heart and soul' into company for over 20 years)
Microsoft layoffs
Microsoft recently announced that it is eliminating 4,800 jobs worldwide, representing around 2.1% of its global workforce.
The Xbox division has been among the hardest hit. Around 1,600 Xbox employees were laid off immediately on Monday, while another 1,600 roles are expected to be eliminated through fiscal year 2027, taking the total planned cuts in the gaming business to 3,200.