One of the sad inevitabilities of the video game industry is that no one stays in one place forever. Even the greats decide to move on to different things, or retire, or get different positions within other companies. Sometimes it’s forced on them, sometimes it’s a result of a game’s bad launch, and sometimes, it comes out of nowhere. Such is the case with the co-founders of Sledgehammer Games, the team behind Call of Duty: WWII. For their bosses are leaving the company for some positions at Activision.
Now, while surprising (given that Call of Duty: WWII was a major hit and the best-selling game of 2017), it needs to be said that this wasn’t a forced thing. They’re simply taking new jobs, and Activision released a statement detailing as much:
Following the incredible success of Call of Duty: WWII, Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey have decided to transition from their duties at Sledgehammer Games to new executive duties inside Activision.
So, in a way, you could argue that they got promoted. For instead of running a developer, they have high-ranking executive positions within a much publisher. That’s not a bad tradeoff when you think about it.
Now, with their departure, Sledgehammer Games needs a new head, and Activision revealed that a familiar face within the company is getting the job in the form of Aaron Halon.
Aaron is a founding member of Sledgehammer Games and the natural fit to lead the team. He has over 20 years of industry experience and has played an instrumental role throughout the studio’s history.
Now, obviously, there is going to be a transition period, and there’s going to be a lot of pressure on Aaron Halon and the rest of the team in order to not only keep up the momentum of Call of Duty: WWII, but also to make the next game they do the best it can be. We’ll see how it goes.
