Xbox's Mike Ybarra leaves Microsoft after 20 years, joins Blizzard Entertainment (update)

What you need to know

  • Mike Ybarra has been with Microsoft for 20 years.
  • He was the Corporate Vice President of Gaming and worked closely with the Xbox Insider Program.
  • Today, Ybarra announced he was leaving the company for a new adventure.
  • It's unclear what Ybarra plans to do in the future at this time.

Updated August 3, 2021 Following the departure of Blizzard president J. Allen Brack, Mike Ybarra is now co-leading Blizzard Entertainment.

Updated October 23, 2019: Ybarra is joining Blizzard Entertainment as Executive Vice President and General Manager.

Mike Ybarra has been with Microsoft for the past 20 years, working on the Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One software experience. He became the Corporate Vice President of Gaming not too long ago, and has been deeply involved with the Xbox Insider Program.

Today, Ybarra announced on Twitter that he was leaving Microsoft for a new adventure. It's unclear what this is, but we'll keep you posted as soon as we find out.

As soon as news broke, Phil Spencer, the Executive Vice President of Gaming, thanked Ybarra for this contribution towards the Xbox brand. Other Microsoft employees like Larry Hryb, the Xbox Live Director of Programming, also thanked Ybarra.

Ybarra streamed a lot on Mixer, and hopefully, he'll keep it up. We'll definitely miss him talking about Xbox and other games. We can't wait to know what he plans on doing next.

Xbox

Main

Asher Madan

Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.