The leadership landscape at Microsoft’s Xbox division is evolving following the notable acquisition of Activision Blizzard. Alan Hartman, the former head of Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10, has been appointed as the new head of Xbox Game Studios, as revealed in a LinkedIn post spotted by Game Developer. In his post, Hartman expressed excitement about leading Xbox Game Studios and representing a distinguished group of game creators.
Alan Hartman has been at the helm of Turn 10 since 2005, and he held significant roles as corporate VP of Forza and Fable. During his tenure, he oversaw the launch of various titles in the Forza series and played a key role in developing the ForzaTech engine, utilized in both Forza Horizon and the upcoming Fable reboot.
This leadership change follows Matt Booty’s promotion to the role of president of gaming content and studios. Noteworthy shifts also include Sarah Bond’s recent appointment as Xbox’s first black president in its 22-year history, reporting directly to Microsoft Gaming president Phil Spencer. With Microsoft’s substantial $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, overseeing properties like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and others, further organizational changes may be on the horizon. Despite the acquisition, Bobby Kotick will remain as CEO of Activision Blizzard until the end of 2023.
