UPDATE: Activision has replied with a short statement on Bowling's exit.
"We sincerely thank Robert for his many years of service. He’s been a trusted and valued member of the Infinity Ward team. We wish him all the best on his decision to pursue future opportunities.”
Does that sound at all to you like the sort of thing a company not quite expecting this type of thing to happen might say? Read that way to me, anyway, but maybe I'm off-base.
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In a startling bit of news that pretty much just happened, Robert Bowling, the longtime creative strategist for the Call of Duty brand at Activision and developer Infinity Ward, has announced he is resigning from his current position.
No reason was given for the announcement, but the terms were absolutely clear. He stated as follows:
Today, I resign from my position as Creative Strategist of Call of Duty, as a lead of Infinity Ward, and as an employee of Activision.
Bowling had been with Activision since 2006, working early on in the franchise's existence as a community manager, and eventually rising up to become the most recognizable face associated with the brand. For all intents and purposes, he has been Call of Duty's primary mouthpiece since the Modern Warfare era began, especially in the time following the exit of Infinity Ward founders Vince Zampella and Jason West, who went on to found Respawn Entertainment.
We've reached out to Activision for an official statement regarding Bowling's exit. We'll update this story should they respond.