Larry ‘Major Nelson’ Hryb Hit By Unity Layoffs 18 Months After Joining

Larry Hryb, widely known as ‘Major Nelson’ in the gaming community, has announced he was affected by recent layoffs at Unity. The company cut 25% of its workforce in 2024, a decision that cost them over $200 million.

News reports revealed the company’s CEO received millions of dollars in bonuses just a few months after hundreds of workers were laid off.

MajorNelson is Moving On to New Things

In a new post on social media, Major Nelson announced his recent departure from Unity:

Hey everyone, I wanted to share some personal news with those of you who’ve followed my gaming journey for a while. Unfortunately, like a lot of people in the industry lately, I was recently laid off from Unity. It’s tough news, but I wanted to let you all know.

I started at Unity in 2024 after my time at Microsoft. I’m really proud of what my team achieved in just a year and a half, and I appreciate the opportunity I had to work with so many talented creators and teams. I’m now looking forward to what comes next.

I’ve been talking with a lot of different companies recently – both in the tech world and other industries – about potential collaborations. I’m passionate about my work, but I also think it’s important to evolve and improve.

I’ll let you know where I go from here.

After 22 years with Microsoft, Major Nelson left his position in July 2023. He shared that he was taking a break from work to spend time with his family before starting a new job at Unity.

Unity has faced significant challenges recently. In 2023, the company laid off hundreds of employees, including nearly 4% right before the holidays. A few months later, they cut another 25% of their workforce. Despite these cuts, the CEO received substantial bonuses and rewards. Then, in February 2025, the entire team responsible for developing Unity’s behavior systems was eliminated.

In 2023, the company faced criticism for announcing price increases that would have significantly affected developers who use their software.

Regardless of that track record, Larry Hryb harbors no ill will toward Unity.

For those who have followed my work in gaming, I wanted to let you know that I’ve been affected by the recent layoffs at Unity.

— Larry Hryb, Gamer Emeritus 📱⌨️🖱️🎮 (@majornelson) January 13, 2026

I was checking out Larry Hryb’s post, and it was cool to see him thanking everyone for the nice messages. He hinted he’s working on some new stuff – said he has ‘a few things cooking’ – and told us to keep an eye out for updates. I’m definitely curious to see what he’s up to!

It appears Phil Hryb suspected he was about to lose his job for several days. When someone asked him which game series he’d like to work on, the well-known figure in gaming jokingly replied, ‘I’m open to anything! (Famous last words)’—a comment that now seems prescient.

Written by

Grant Taylor-Hill

Senior Editor

Grant’s love of video games began very early – he was playing on the Amstrad CPC before he could even walk! Now, he’s a skilled gamer who enjoys playing on many different platforms, and his passion for gaming never fades.

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2026-01-13 19:50