-Marcus Lawrence

Word is getting out that Cliffy Bleszinski has left Epic Games and may very well be done with the gaming industry for good. In an EpicGames.com blog post, Cliffy b seems to be hinting at a permanent departure from the industry. Could this all be some kind of joke or is this the genuine article?

The ex-design director is most known for his work on Unreal Tournament and the ever popular Gears of War Series.

“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,” Bleszinski said. “And now that I’m grown up, it’s time for a much needed break. I will miss the projects, the playtests, the debates, and most importantly, the people.”

Epic Games even went on to say this about Cliffy: “During the past two decades, Cliff has helped shape many successful games that have captured the imaginations of millions of players around the world. We are grateful for his influence on Epic’s legacy, from the wild adventures “Jazz Jackrabbit” to the visceral combat of “Gears of War.”

While this is certainly a surprise, he isn’t the only member to have left Epic recently. Three creative bosses left Epic Games’ subsidiary People Can Fly last month and Epic’s director of production Rob Fergusson left to go work on Bioshock Infinite. Could this all be some kind of coincidence or is there some foul play happening at Epic?