Infinity Ward exodus: Staff heading for Respawn?

by Stevie Smith - Apr 14 2010, 12:29

Renowned videogame developer Infinity Ward may be responsible for last year’s biggest multi-platform release (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2), but it would appear all is not well at parent company Activision’s flagship studio.

More pointedly, following on from the controversial departure of Call of Duty creators Jason West and Vince Zampella, the Encino-based studio is currently seeing staff rushing for the door like rats leaping from a sinking ship.

According to game blog Kotaku, sources linked with Infinity Ward have today revealed that lead designers Steve Fukuda and Zied Reike are the latest to down tools and head for the exit sign.

Fukuda and Reike bring the number of recent departures at Infinity Ward to nine, as programmer Rayme Vinson, lead artist Chris Cherubini, animator Bruce Ferriz, lead designer Mackey McCandish and programmer Jon Shiring are reported to have handed in their resignations in the past few days.

And these are only the latest in something of a studio stampede, which began last week when lead designer Todd Alderman and lead software engineer Francesco Gigliotti formally withdrew from their duties.

While we here at The Tech Herald would never knowingly throw fuel on the flames presently licking at the foundations of Infinity Ward, we think it only fair to point out that Jason West and Vince Zampella have this week announced the formation of Respawn Entertainment.

With a publishing and distribution deal already in place via Activision’s main market rival Electronic Arts, Respawn is presently in the process of amassing a development team for its first “blockbuster” videogame creation.

Surely it is just coincidence that Infinity Ward’s offices are emptying… surely.

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