Xbox CVP Kareem Choudhry quits Microsoft after 26 years

In the last few months, we saw some prominent figures leaving Microsoft to pursue a different career. Last year, Panos Panay’s departure from the company came as a shock to many, but if that wasn’t enough, Xbox CVP Kareem Choudhry is the latest person to call it quit after 26 years of service at the company.

Kareem Choudhry was tasked with leading many important projects, including Xbox Cloud Gaming, Xbox Backwrd Compatibility, and more. But going forward, he’ll no longer be a part of any projects at Microsoft, as yesterday was his last at the company. Microsoft’s AI gaming division, something Choudhry was previously responsible for, will now move to the Xbox hardware division, led by Roanne Sones, according to an internal memo described to Windows Central.

Choudhry’s departure comes at a time when the Xbox division is undergoing a leadership re-org, which Microsoft believes will drive more innovation in its gaming segment. If you’re interested in Microsoft’s gaming tech, you’ll now need to acquaint yourself with some newly created org and the important persons involved in those projects.

• Ashley McKissick and Kevin Gammill will jointly oversee the Xbox Experiences and Platforms teams.
• Catherine Gluckstein will manage the Xbox Strategy and Regulatory team.
• Jennifer Creegan will now watch over analytics and business planning for the Microsoft Gaming team.

While Microsoft is moving forward with its gaming plans without Kareem Choudhry, Mike Ybarra, the company’s corporate VP, took to X (previously known as Twitter) to acknowledge his contributions. “Xbox certainly wouldn’t be what it was w/o his contributions,” Ybarra wrote on X.

While it’s always sad to see people like Choudhry, who was part of many successful projects, leave, we’re equally excited about what Microsoft’s gaming future looks like. We wish Kareem Choudhry all the best for whatever he’s planning next.