The layoffs announced by XBOX this week affected all areas of the company. Be it developers, producers, executives, newcomers or veterans at the American company… No one was safe.
This was the case, for example, with Kevin LaChapelle, who served as vice president of the Xbox platform. He had been with Microsoft since August 1989 and was laid off overnight after 37 years of service. He held positions including head of development and vice president of Project xCloud. We also have him to thank for backward compatibility on the Xbox One.
LaChapelle posted the following message on LinkedIn.
“I will add my name to the list of people who were laid off today at Xbox. This ends my 37 years at Microsoft. I have worked in many different parts of the company, and 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. I followed that with leading the team who created our Cloud Gaming product. I am a firm believer that all entertainment will eventually become streamed to you wherever you are. I look forward to watching how Xbox evolves going forward and I wish the team nothing but success.”
It’s always tough to see long-time employees like Kevin LaChapelle leave, especially after so many years of dedication. Layoffs can have a significant impact on both the individuals affected and the company as a whole. Wishing everyone involved the best as they navigate this transition.