David Vonderhaar has left Call of Duty behind after almost 19 years
Activision and Treyarch veteran developer, David Vonderhaar has stated that he is leaving the companies after 18 years.
Vonderhaar has worked on eight Call of Duty games during his career, including Black Ops 2010.
David Vonderhaar announced he was leaving on LinkedIn
Vonderhaar announced on his LinkedIn page that he has left Activision and Treyarch, however added that he was not leaving the games industry.
He wrote: "Today I am sharing that I have left Activision and Treyarch after an incredible 18 years and 8 Call of Duty games.
"To my co-workers at Treyarch, I am immensely grateful for the time we invested working to improve our craft, never sitting on successes, and always wondering how to improve what we design and how we produce it.
"Thank you to the Call of Duty community for your passion and enthusiasm. That energy has often fueled our determination as a studio and individuals. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to interact with so many of you directly online and in person. This energy will always be a massive part of me.
"I am staying in the games industry, working on an undisclosed project I can't discuss yet, but I am excited about a rare and unique opportunity. I'll update you as soon as possible."
Even though he can't share what project he will be working on next at this time, Vonderhaar does suggest that it is an exciting one.
Vonderhaar will be missed by fans and colleagues
Fans and colleagues of Vonderhaar have shown online that they will miss him and his contributions to the Call of Duty franchise.
Treyarch Studios, the creators of Black Ops and Call of Duty Zombies, said in a statement on Twitter: "Farewell to the legendary David Vonderhaar, whose discipline, creativity & innovation helped shape our games from COD 2: Big Red One to Black Ops Cold War. His iconic phrases & groundbreaking ideas will be missed. Excited for your next adventure. #ThankYouVahn"
Call of Duty fans have also come out, saying they will miss the work Vonderhaar has done for the franchise and worrying about its future.
One wrote: "Bro made my childhood great, thank you for your work."
Another said: "Very sad news that overshadows the announcement of Modern Warfare III."
While it is a loss for Activision and Treyarch, it will be exciting to see what David Vonderhaar works on next which is an announcement that many fans of the Call of Duty franchise will be eagerly waiting for.