The Modern Warfare 2 developer has now suffered the loss of eleven high profile members in total ever since studio heads and founders Vince Zampella and Jason West were ousted from Infinity Ward. While Activision are claiming 'key talent' still remains at the studio, these losses would have to hurt.
Team members Bruce Ferriz (animator), Mackey McCandlish (lead designer), John Shiring (programmer), Todd Alderman (lead designer) and Francesco Gigliotti (lead software engineer) had already left the studio before the announcement (via Kotaku) that Steve Fukuda (lead designer), Zied Reike (lead designer), Rayme Vinson (programmer) and Chris Cherubini (lead artist) have now left as well. Also, with a new morning, comes a new announcement of departing Infinity Ward staff. Kotaku once again got the scoop and this time its the teams lead animator, Mark Grigsby, and lead character animator, Paul Messerly, who have left the studio. They take with them 13 years of experience and together the studio has suffered a loss of well over 60 years experience from the company, without including the loss of Zampella and West. No real details have been given as to why the members have left but so far most sources claim that they resigned of their own accord.
With such a huge loss of experience from the studio can we now expect to see Sledgehammer Games take a bigger role in the Call of Duty franchise? Could this be the kickstart that Infinity Ward needs? A rush of fresh blood into the studio to help the team potentially move on from Call of Duty or at least provide us with a new, refreshing experience? Unfortunately the signs aren't looking good with the latest departures, Grigsby and Messerly, sparking a comment from someone close to Infinity Ward that morale at the studio is low, like desperately low, and the lack of leadership is cited as a contributing factor.
The question of where these former members will end up is also a pretty big one at the moment and, more specifically, how many of those senior Infinity Ward members will join West and Zampella's new venture Respawn Entertainment? The two announced (via LA Times) the new company on the 12th of April. The company is set up under the EA Partners Program which will provide the studio with funding and retain exclusive distribution rights for Respawn created games. While West and Zampella are under the Partners Program, they still retain full creative control over any property they create. EA are also said to be backing the team in their hiring of a crew that will be able to create, what West calls a game of "huge, summer blockbuster" scale.
Article comments
1 - andy s
I expect them to revamp the Medal of Honor series. MoH modern battle?
2 - Troy Mayes
Mmmm I read some where, can't remember where, but even though they are under EA's wing they won't have the power/authority whatever the right word is to influence other EA titles. They'll pretty much be acting independently, EA is just giving them some money