David Vonderhaar, Treyarch’s studio design director who has been with the company for 18 years and has helped ship 8 Call of Duty games, is leaving the company for a new adventure.
Vonderhaar, who has been with the company since October 2004 and Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, took to LinkedIn to share the news and thank those who have been part of his journey at Treyarch.
“Today I am sharing that I have left Activision and Treyarch after an incredible 18 years and 8 Call of Duty games,” Vonderhaar wrote. “To my co-workers at Treyarch, I am immensely grateful for the time we invested working to improve our craft, never sitting on successes, and always wondering how to improve what we design and how we produce it.
“Thank you to the Call of Duty community for your passion and enthusiasm. That energy has often fueled our determination as a studio and individuals. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to interact with so many of you directly online and in person. This energy will always be a massive part of me.
“I am staying in the games industry, working on an undisclosed project I can’t discuss yet, but I am excited about a rare and unique opportunity. I’ll update you as soon as possible.”
Treyarch celebrated Vonderhaar on Twitter/X, thanking him and wishing him the best on whatever is next.
“Farewell to the legendary David Vonderhaar, whose discipline, creativity & innovation helped shape our games from COD 2: Big Red One to Black Ops Cold War,” Treyarch wrote. “His iconic phrases & groundbreaking ideas will be missed. Excited for your next adventure. #ThankYouVahn”
For more, check out our review of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, which was Vonderhaar’s last shipped game at Treyarch.
Furthermore, check out all the latest details on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, in which Treyarch is hard at work on helping bringing to life its Zombies mode.
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Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.