The Departing Developers Of 2012

The last few months have seen an exodus of several high-profile developers. Three of Epic's top men have departed the company, along with two of BioWare's founders. Here's a quick roundup of who has changed career paths and what they're doing next (when applicable).

August 9: Rod Fergusson leaves Epic Games. The Gears of War executive producer announced via Twitter that he was leaving Epic in North Carolina to join the Bioshock Infinite team at Irrational Games. 

August 12: Adrian Chmielarz leaves Epic Games. As People Can Fly's creative director, Chmielarz worked with Epic on Bulletstorm and Gears of War: Judgment. He didn't explain what his next move was, but teased that news would be coming "soon enough."

September 18: Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk leave BioWare. After co-founding the studio back in 1995, this duo went on to create classic PC franchises Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. In more recent years, they found success with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect. Muzyka plans on taking on a "brand new entrepreneurial challenge," while Zeschuk is working on a web interview series called The Beer Diaries.

October 3: Cliff Bleszinski leaves Epic Games. He departs after 20 years, developing such series as Jazz Jackrabbit, Unreal Tournament, and Gears of War. The outspoken designer has not yet said what he'll be doing next, instead stating that "it's time for a much needed break."