Cliff Bleszinski Leaves Epic Games

Huh. Didn’t see this one coming.

Cliff Bleszinski (aka Cliffy B, aka Dude Huge), Design Director at Epic Games, is leaving the company he’s been with for near as makes no difference two decades. He has not announced what his next venture will be, but given how big of a name Bleszinski is in the videogame industry, I’m sure it will find its way into the news-cycle for at least a day or two when he does.

His work has been a major influence on the industry, mainly through the Unreal and Gears of War series.

A segment of the note he sent out to the Epic Games staff has been posted ( along with comments from other Epic mainstays Tim Sweeney, Michael Capps, and Mark Rain) on the company’s website:

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.