3 Gaming Top Creative Heads Who Recently Left The Company(August 2023)
The year 2023 has been a blockbuster year for the gaming spaces, with some of the biggest games launching or releasing their sequels. While several record-breaking titles have already been released by August 20223, several others are still in queue for the upcoming four months of the year.
While the year has been fantastic in terms of gaming content for fans, on the business front several companies had to go through some lows too. Several gaming companies had their top level management individuals quit the companies, either because of controversies, or for their personal growth.
Here are 3 gaming creative heads who left the company this year
Mike Brown – Playground
In January 2023, when Mike Brown announced his departure from Playground Games with other fellow colleagues, it left everyone in shock. It was unexpected for the Forza Horizon creative director to quit in such a fashion. The reason for his exit was his independent new venture AAA studio along with some of his former coworkers.
Brown founded the new gaming studio that goes by the name of Maverick Games. Back then it hired the senior staff from Playground as its first set of new employees. The list included lead producer Tom Butcher and audio director Fraser Strachan. Strachan was the man responsible for Forza Horizon 5’s lauded current audio direction.
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In the new studios, Brown took up the role of studio lead at Maverick, while Harinder Sangha was appointed as the chief operating officer (COO). Sangha herself is an award-winning studio leader who has helped form Sega Hardlight and Sumo Leamington in the past.
Mac Walters – BioWare (Dragon Age 4)
Mac Walters was the lead writer on Mass Effect 2 and 3 as well as creative director on Mass Effect: Andromeda, when he announced his departure from BioWare after 19 years at the studio in January. Walters had also been toiling as the production director for the upcoming Dragon Age: Dreadwolf, however, with his exit the project lost iys production director leaving it to be soldiered on without him. Walters revealed that he was leaving the company for new pastures in a post on LinkedIn last weekend “At the end of last year I decided to leave BioWare,” he wrote. Walter further added, “These past 19 years have been a life-changing experience […] and it made the choice to go very difficult”. But he left irrespective, and his LinkedIn career history now lists him as departing his production director position after exactly one year in the role, from January 2022 to January 2023.
Frank O’Connor – 343 Industries (Halo)
Halo veteran, and the franchise creative director for Halo Frank O’Connor, announced his excite from Halo’s subsidiary, 343 Industries in April this year.
The company spokesperson confirmed to a news portal in a statement that O’Connor was no longer with Microsoft, saying, “We thank Frank for his numerous contributions to the Halo franchise and wish him well going forward.” The reason for O’Connor’s departure wasn’t revealed. But going as per his LinkedIn profile, O’Connor has the title “franchise creative director” at a separate unnamed company currently.
