Epic Games today announced on their official community site that design director Cliff Bleszinki has departed from the company to chart the next stage of his career. A part of the video game industry for twenty years, Cliffy B has dedicated over half of his life to Epic Games, and with the fourth installation of Gears of War scheduled to hit March of 2013, this leaves many to wonder where his focus will lie in the future.

As design director of Epic, Cliff has gained a substantial following due to his contributions toUnreal,as well as his charitable and open demeanor with fans. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney, commented on Cliff's departure by stating "In 20 wonderful years with Epic, Cliff Bleszinski has grown into a true design luminary, and his contributions to the ‘Unreal’ and ‘Gears’ series have helped shape the game industry into what it is today. Cliff leaves Epic with our gratitude for his many contributions, and our wishes for continued success in the next chapter of his life."

Not one to leave people guessing, Epic shared Cliff's comments on the decision. "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." You can read more on the Epic Community site. Whether or not you're a fan of Epic's games, there's no denying that the Unreal Engine is a staple of modern gaming, and it's a bit sad to see such a long-time contributor go. Hopefully the break is short-lived, and we get a chance to see him at work in the near future.

 

Source: Epic Games