Kevin LaChapelle, Xbox Platform VP, Departs Microsoft After 37 Years Amid Layoffs

PC: LinkedIn

The latest round of job cuts at Microsoft has affected employees across different parts of the business, including long-serving figures who helped shape some of Xbox's best-known features. Among those leaving is Kevin LaChapelle, Vice President of Xbox Platform, whose departure brings to a close a career spanning 37 years at the company. His announcement came through a personal LinkedIn post, where he confirmed that he had been laid off as part of Microsoft's ongoing restructuring. Rather than focusing on the circumstances of his exit, LaChapelle reflected on the projects that defined his years at Xbox, the colleagues he worked alongside and the experiences that stayed with him. His message quickly attracted responses from former co-workers, developers and Xbox players, many of whom remembered his work on features that became central to the platform.

Kevin LaChapelle’s 37-year Microsoft journey ends after Xbox layoffs

Kevin LaChapelle joined Microsoft in 1989, according to his LinkedIn profile, and spent time working across several parts of the company before taking on senior responsibilities within the Xbox division. In his farewell message, he confirmed that his time at Microsoft had come to an end following the latest wave of layoffs. He described the departure simply, saying that he was adding his name to the growing list of Xbox employees who had lost their jobs. Instead of looking back at job titles or promotions, LaChapelle chose to highlight the work that meant the most to him. He said his favourite memories came from leading the engineering team behind Xbox's backward compatibility programme, the feature that allowed newer Xbox consoles to play games released for previous generations.

PC: LinkedIn

From Xbox backward compatibility to cloud gaming: The projects that shaped LaChapelle’s career

LaChapelle recalled the moment the backward compatibility programme was publicly introduced at E3 2015, describing the audience response as one of the defining memories of his career. He later led the team responsible for Xbox Cloud Gaming, Microsoft's streaming service that lets players access games across supported devices without relying solely on dedicated gaming hardware. Looking ahead, he said he believes streamed entertainment will continue to become a larger part of how people access games and other media. Even while announcing his departure, he wished the Xbox team well and said he looked forward to seeing how the platform develops in the years ahead.

Kevin LaChapelle thanks Kareem Choudhry for lasting impact at Xbox

Toward the end of his post, LaChapelle singled out one former colleague for special thanks. He credited Manager, Kareem Choudhry with having the biggest influence on his time at Xbox, describing him as the best manager he worked with during his years at Microsoft. He also said that their professional relationship had developed into a lasting friendship. The post was written in a reflective tone, with little discussion of the restructuring itself. Instead, it focused largely on the people, projects and experiences that shaped his career.

Xbox community pays tribute to Kevin LaChapelle

Replies to LaChapelle's announcement quickly appeared from current and former Microsoft employees, developers and Xbox users. Many praised the backward compatibility programme, describing it as one of the platform's most valuable features because it allowed players to revisit older game libraries without reconnecting ageing consoles. Others thanked him for supporting engineering teams during his time in leadership and wished him well for whatever comes next. Several comments also came from people experiencing layoffs themselves, sharing similar concerns about career uncertainty while expressing appreciation for LaChapelle's contribution to Xbox over the years.

Microsoft's latest layoffs

LaChapelle's departure comes during another significant restructuring at Microsoft. As reported by Reuters, the company recently announced plans to eliminate around 4,800 jobs globally, representing roughly 2.1 per cent of its workforce. Xbox has been one of the business units most heavily affected. Reportedly, around 1,600 gaming division employees were laid off immediately, while a further 1,600 positions are expected to be removed by the end of fiscal year 2027. The cuts have affected employees across different levels of the organisation, from engineering and production teams to senior leadership. LaChapelle's exit has become one of the most widely shared examples because of the length of his career and his involvement in two of Xbox's best-known platform initiatives.