Microsoft layoffs: Xbox veteran Kevin LaChapelle never posted on LinkedIn for 37 years; used his first post to announce he was laid off

For around four decades, Kevin LaChapelle quietly helped shape some of Microsoft's biggest technology milestones and never made any posts on LinkedIn. That changed this week after layoffs at Microsoft.

As the latest round of Microsoft layoffs swept through the company's gaming division, Xbox, LaChapelle revealed that he was among around 1,600 Xbox employees who lost their jobs in Microsoft's AI-driven restructuring. After spending 37 years at the tech giant, his very first LinkedIn post became a farewell message that quickly struck a chord with thousands of people online.

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Kevin LaChapelle says goodbye after 37 years at Microsoft

The latest Microsoft layoffs have impacted employees across multiple Xbox teams, including long-serving executives. Among them was Kevin LaChapelle, who joined Microsoft in 1989, long before the original Xbox console even existed.

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Over the decades, LaChapelle worked across different parts of the company and went on to become one of the key figures behind Xbox's platform engineering efforts. Despite his long career, he had never shared a post on LinkedIn until Tuesday.

His first post marked the end of his journey at Microsoft.

"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."



Rather than expressing bitterness, LaChapelle focused on the achievements that defined his career.

The Xbox projects Kevin LaChapelle helped build

During his years at Microsoft, LaChapelle played a major role in several high-profile Xbox innovations.

One of his biggest achievements was leading the Xbox Backward Compatibility program, which allowed players to enjoy Xbox 360—and later original Xbox—games on newer consoles without needing older hardware.

Recalling the feature's unveiling at E3 2015, he wrote: "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."

He later led the engineering team behind Xbox Cloud Gaming, formerly known as xCloud, a service that allows users to stream games across phones, tablets and PCs without relying on dedicated gaming hardware.

'Entertainment will eventually become streamed'

Even after being affected by the Microsoft layoffs, LaChapelle said he remains optimistic about where gaming is headed.

In his farewell message, he shared his belief that cloud technology will continue transforming the entertainment industry.

"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."

Social media reacts to Microsoft's layoffs

LaChapelle's first-ever LinkedIn post quickly attracted emotional responses from current and former Microsoft employees, gamers and industry professionals.

One user commented: "I'm sorry to hear this. 40 years career for a man, 37 years is definitely a significant milestone and commitment."

Another wrote: "Kevin, I'm sorry this is how such a long and impactful Microsoft chapter ended. The work you helped lead shaped how millions of people experience Xbox."

A third user thanked him for his contributions beyond gaming:

"Kevin, we haven't met before but sincerely, thank you! Saw that you worked on Windows Movie Maker – I used to make anime music videos on there back in 2007."

Kevin LaChapelle also thanked a longtime mentor

Before signing off, LaChapelle thanked former Xbox executive Kareem Choudhry for his support throughout his career.

He described Choudhry as "the best manager I had at Microsoft" and said he was grateful to now call him "a good friend."

Microsoft Xbox layoffs

In an email to workers, Xbox CEO Asha Sharma informed them of the layoffs, highlighting that the business was 'not healthy'. "Our business today is not healthy. We are operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses," Sharma said in her email, which she posted on X, while noting that the layoff decision does not reflect the "talent and dedication" of employees.

"History is full of companies that mistake longevity for inevitability. We will not be one of them," she said, as she laid out the plan over the next few years.

The company, she said, has been losing 64 cents for every dollar it invested in a year. It now plans to "help independent creators succeed by providing open development tools and audiences."