Marc Whitten, chief product officer of Xbox, is leaving Microsoft to become the chief product officer of Sonos. Whitten joined the Xbox team in 2000 and helped launch Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

"I have had the extreme pleasure over the last 14 years to work on the greatest product with the greatest team and for the greatest community," Whitten said in the announcement. "Xbox is so special because of the amazing team I've had the opportunity to work with and because our fans are the most incredible fans on the planet. It has been the highlight of my career to work on a product so loved. It's incredibly tough to leave but I am confident the best days are ahead for Xbox fans, in the capable hands of a very talented team."

This is the second high-profile departure from the Xbox team since the launch of Microsoft's latest console, following Don Mattrick's move to Zynga. The move seems sudden, given Whitten's role in an upcoming "fireside chat" at Game Developers Conference. Phil Spencer will be replacing Whitten for the talk. According to Microsoft, "the remainder of the Xbox leadership team will remain intact."