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Respawn co-founding member, Chad Grenier, is leaving the studio after an “unforgettable ride” of eleven years.
In a blog (opens in new tab) posted to the studio’s official website, Grenier said: “Few words can elegantly describe my 11 years at Respawn. After helping to co-found the studio, bring the Titanfall universe to life, and launch the incredible experiment that is Apex Legends (opens in new tab) – it’s been an unforgettable ride to say the least. But today, this crazy chapter comes to an end.”
Grenier confirmed that Steven Ferreira – described as Grenier’s “right hand” – will take over as game director, and promised Apex fans that the shooter is “in great hands”.
“To Vince and the entire team at Respawn, making great games isn’t easy and it’s been an honor to create these worlds and experiences with you,” he added. “I’m so proud of all that we’ve built together and excited about the possibilities these franchises hold for years to come.
“Even after all this time, I feel like a kid leaving the nest, and, as corny as it sounds, leaving a family behind. I’ll be bringing the experience and lessons learned from this incredible group to everything I do down the road. It will probably be tough to see the game continue to thrive and succeed in my absence, but that’s a good thing. So, I’m looking forward to the great things this team will achieve as they take Apex to the next level and further than we thought was possible when this journey first started. You can bet I’ll be cheering from the sidelines along the way.”
Today is my last day at @Respawn. 11 years, 11 seasons of Apex, 11 shipped maps. I thought that was neat.It’s tough to leave a game and a team that you love.But, it’s time to do something new. No plans quite yet. Going to walk the Earth for a bit and recharge. Stay tuned! pic.twitter.com/qLKA2iXca9December 3, 2021
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Grenier’s departure coincides with that of design director Jason McCord, too, who is also leaving the team after eleven years at the studio.
“Today is my last day at Respawn. 11 years, 11 seasons of Apex, 11 shipped maps. I thought that was neat,” they tweeted.
“It’s tough to leave a game and a team that you love. But, it’s time to do something new.”
McCord says they have “no plans quite yet”, and wants to “walk the Earth for a bit and recharge”.
ICYMI, a number of developers working on Apex Legends recently discussed how Respawn has avoided crunch (opens in new tab), which is a period of extensive overtime – and overworking – that frequently occurs in game development to hit targets.
Principal environmental artist Jobye-Kyle Karmaker retweeted a quote by Grenier, which said: “We also refuse to crunch the team, so we’ll probably be slower at making content than if we worked 15 hour days but that’s just not something we’re willing to do.”
Karmarker responded with: “Feel incredibly lucky to be on @PlayApex. It’s so nice to have leadership from @ChadGrenier & crew that value team health & that actively take steps to protect it publicly + internally.”
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