Robert Bowling exits Call of Duty, Infinity Ward, Activision

Call of Duty strategist Robert Bowling, long one of the franchise's most well known faces, has abruptly announced his departure from the whole shebang.

"Today, I resign from my position as Creative Strategist of Call of Duty, as a lead of Infinity Ward, and as an employee of Activision," Bowling tweeted earlier today.

Bowling has not responded to requests for comment in the interim, but Activision had a stock comment on hand.

"We sincerely thank Robert for his many years of service. He’s been a trusted and valued member of the Infinity Ward team. We wish him all the best on his decision to pursue future opportunities," the publisher said.

Bowling has been the public face of the Call of Duty series as a whole, and particularly of Infinity Ward's entries, for several years - most prominently since the departure of former studio leads Jason West and Vince Zampella.

Although he later served as a major creative force on the franchise, Bowling is best known to the Call of Duty fanbase from his years as community manager under the soubriquet FourZeroTwo. He joined the franchise in 2006, and continued to openly communicate with players despite his promotion up the corporate ladder, and will be greatly missed by hardcore fans.