Sledgehammer Games founders leave Call of Duty for "new executive duties"

Sledgehammer Games founders Michael Condrey and Glen Schofield have left the studio to take executive roles in its parent company, Activision.

According to Kotaku, which has confirmed the news with Activision, Condrey and Schofield will hand leadership of Sledgehammer to Aaron Halon, who has been at the studio since it was founded in 2009. Previously, Halon was director of product development.

Details of Condrey and Schofield's new roles are scarce, with Activision saying only that the pair will transition to "new executive duties" within the company.

"Activision has offered me the opportunity to focus my energy on something I'm very passionate about, exploring new game ideas for the company," Schofield said in a statement provided by Activision. "It's something I just couldn't pass up."

Condrey added: "Over the course of nearly a decade, Glen and I proudly grew the studio and watched a new crop of leaders emerge within the team. On a personal level, I'm deeply grateful to the men and women who have poured their passion into the pursuit of excellence with us. I'm proud of what we accomplished together, it has been the greatest experience of my professional life."

Condrey and Schofield founded Sledgehammer Games in 2009, after finding collaborative success together on Dead Space while at EA's Visceral Games. Activision acquired the studio shortly after its foundation, and Sledgehammer debuted as co-developer of COD: Modern Warfare 3.

Sledgehammer was lead studio on COD: Advanced Warfare and last year's COD: WWII.