Epic Games announced on their official blog that Cliff Bleszinski, once a Lead Designer for the studio, is stepping away from games and has officially left the company.
Where’s he going? That’s the interesting bit. We don’t know. It seems like Bleszinski is taking a break from the world of game development entirely. He’s not starting up a new studio right away, he hasn’t been recruited by a new team and he isn’t looking to solo his way through the world of iOS games.
Bleszinski is straight up taking a break. He sent a note to the staff at Epic Games that was included in the post that announced his departure. Here it is, in full:
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.
Bleszinski is a gaming luminary. His attitude, passion and style drove forward a whole sector of this industry. We here at Crave hope he’s not gone for good.
