Cliff Bleszinski lämnar Epic

Cliff Bleszinski, skaparen av spelserier som Gears of War och Jazz Jackrabbit, har lämnat Epic Games efter 20 års anställning. Nu ska han enligt uppgift "planera nästa steg i sin karrär", och följande har Epic att säga om hans avgång:

"In 20 wonderful years with Epic, Cliff Bleszinski has grown into a true design luminary, and his contributions to the ‘Unreal' and ‘Gears' series have helped shape the game industry into what it is today," wrote Epic founder and CEO Tim Sweeney. "Cliff leaves Epic with our gratitude for his many contributions, and our wishes for continued success in the next chapter of his life!"

Cliffy har gjort ett uttalande också:

"I've been doing this since I was a teenager, and outside of my sabbatical last year, I have been going non-stop. I literally grew up in this business, as Mike likes to say. And now that I'm grown up, it's time for a much needed break.

I will miss the projects, the playtests, the debates, and most importantly, the people. Epic only hires the best of the best, and it has been a joy working with each and every one of you on a daily basis, whether you were hired weeks ago or decades ago. I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with a variety of disciplines, from code to art to marketing and PR - it's been one big, rewarding learning experience. I'm confident that each project that is being built, whether at Epic, Chair, PCF, or Impossible will be top notch and will please gamers and critics alike."

Cliffy har alltså haft ett sabbathsår och verkar nu känna att han behöver ytterligare tid från spelutvecklandet. Förhoppningsvis innebär detta inte att han lämnar industrin helt, men det lär ta en stund innan vi hör från honom igen.