Cliff Bleszinski Leaves EPIC Games

You read that right. The lead designer for the Unreal series, Gears Of War and creator of Jazz Jackrabbit (one of my favorite games) is leaving Epic games to “further” his career. From the official release:

Today we are saying farewell with warm regards to Cliff Bleszinski, who is departing as Epic’s design director to chart the next stage of his career. During the past two decades, Cliff has helped shape many successful games that have captured the imaginations of millions of players around the world. We are grateful for his influence on Epic’s legacy, from the wild adventures “Jazz Jackrabbit” to the visceral combat of “Gears of War.”

 

And from the man himself:

I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager, and outside of my sabbatical last year, I have been going non-stop. I literally grew up in this business, as Mike likes to say. And now that I’m grown up, it’s time for a much needed break.

I will miss the projects, the playtests, the debates, and most importantly, the people. Epic only hires the best of the best, and it has been a joy working with each and every one of you on a daily basis, whether you were hired weeks ago or decades ago. I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with a variety of disciplines, from code to art to marketing and PR – it’s been one big, rewarding learning experience. I’m confident that each project that is being built, whether at Epic, Chair, PCF, or Impossible will be top notch and will please gamers and critics alike.

So what does this mean for gamers? Will the Gears series not feature the same giant roided out heroes like we are used to? Will Rob Liefeld be hired in his place? What, comic jokes in my video game news? Who knows. This gamer is both saddened and happy. I have never been disappointed with a Cliffy B game, especially the ones released through Epic. Cliffy B and Epic was the perfect example of a chocolate peanut-butter situation. They worked together perfectly.

If you want to wish him good luck on his adventures you can hit up his Twitter @therealcliffyb or head  on over to  the Epic Forums where they have setup a good bye wall.