Global Game Jam founders Susan Gold and Gorm Lai leave after 12 years
The event's original co-founders move on after a decade of consistent growth
The original founders of the Global Game Jam have left the organisation after more than 12 years.
Susan Gold and Gorm Lai officially departed as part of Global Game Jam's annual changes to its board of directors.
"I think that GGJ is the best of me as an educator and game designer, but also as an organizer and activist," Gold said in a statement. "I'm so excited that I was able to see us grow from an idea to a movement, a true global collaboration."
The first Global Game Jam took place in 2009, when 1650 participants across 53 locations created 370 games. Participation has grown every year since, peaking at just over 47,000 people in 113 countries in January last year -- more than 9,000 games were made.
"It has been an honor to have been part of what has truly become a global movement," added Gorm Lai.
"Along with the growth of cheap and accessible game engines and opening up of digital marketplaces, the Global Game Jam and the game jam movement has played a core role in the expansion and growing diversity in the games industry in the last ten to 15 years."
Xsolla's Justin Berenbaum and Streamline Media Group's Alexander Fernandez also left the board last week. The four will be replaced by Unity's Carl Callewart, Disney veteran Shelley Miles, BrainPOP's Kevin Miklasz, and Rainbow Studios' Lenore Gilbert.