Stuart Black to quit Codemasters
Creative director on new IP Bodycount to leave before game is released
Bodycount creative director Stuart Black is to leave publisher Codemasters this October, ahead of the official release of the first-person shooter early next year.
According to a report by our sister site Eurogamer.net, executive producer Tom Gillo, who also worked with Stuart Black on EA's last-gen shooter Black, has already left the company and been replaced with a project development director.
"He's [Black] got all his design work to do but he's going to finish before he leaves the team to complete the game, which takes him through to October," a Codemasters spokesperson said.
The game is considered the spiritual successor to Black, and uses Codemasters' own EGO engine, which has been used in DIRT, GRID and Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising.
"Having created a great vision and direction for Bodycount, Stuart has decided to move on after three years with us. He will see out his design role until October and, through the transition period, will continue to work with the talented development team that will take the game through to completion," offered Adrian Bolton, studio manager at Codemasters Guildford.
The falling out is allegedly over issues following the game's E3 showing this year. Senior producer Andy Wilson will take on demo responsibilities for the project, while Black focuses on completing the design, according to the report.