Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 lead designer returns to Infinity Ward
One-time Call of Duty lead designer Todd Alderman has returned to the warm folds of Activision's bosom.
Call of Duty developer Infinity Ward has welcomed Alderman back as multiplayer project director.
"The chance to come back to Infinity Ward and Call of Duty is something I didn't think would ever happen," Alderman told Polygon .
Yeah, no kidding: Alderman was among a group of former Infinity Ward employees who left the company during an absolute shitstorm after Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella were fired, supposedly for sneaking around with EA. Alderman was part of a lawsuit seeking unpaid bonuses from Activision, and joined Respawn, West and Zampella's EA-backed team, before moving on to Riot.
Apparently Activision has been able to move past all that.
"This is about hiring the best talent for the right position," Infinity Ward studio head David Stohl said.
"Todd's accomplishments speak for themselves. We're happy to have him lead multiplayer development here at Infinity Ward as well as provide a level of leadership across the entire studio team. Following last year's combination with Neversoft, we've continued to add some great talent throughout the studio. As we focus on the future, there's a real sense of energy that has us all excited about what's to come."
Alderman said "a lot has changed" in the five years since he left Infinity Ward and the new faces he sees are attached to "motivated people who want to make something great".
"It's a really cool game concept that I want to be a part of," he added, mysteriously. "I can't wait to see what we do with a three-year dev cycle. I'm excited to be back."
Activision has also confirmed that Mark Rubin has left his role as Infinity Ward's executive producer. He's left to pursue interests outside the games industry, according to GameInformer.
Infinity Ward is currently working on Call of Duty 2017. Treyarch is doing this year's, after Sledgehammer's debut with Advanced Warfare.