Annapurna Interactive, the acclaimed indie game publisher behind titles like Stray and Outer Wilds, is undergoing major upheaval after the mass resignation of its entire staff, as reported by Bloomberg.
IGN corroborated the report, confirming that the 25-member team, including former president Nathan Gary and co-heads Deborah Mars and Nathan Vella, resigned following failed negotiations to spin off the gaming division into an independent entity. The talks between Gary and Annapurna founder Megan Ellison fell through, prompting the collective resignationโa decision the team described as “one of the hardest [they] have ever had to make.”
โAll 25 members of the Annapurna Interactive team collectively resigned,โโ former president Nathan Gary and staffers toldย Bloomberg.ย โThis was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make and we did not take this action lightly.โ
To address the leadership gap, Annapurna appointed Hector Sanchez, a former Epic Games executive, as its new president of interactive and new media. While the company assures partners that projects will continue as planned, the future of Annapurna Interactive remains uncertain.
Despite this turmoil, Annapurna Pictures, the parent company, remains committed to expanding its presence in the gaming industry through both in-house development and partnerships. The recent deal with Control 2 developer Remedy Entertainment, which involves adapting Control and Alan Wake for film and television, remains intact. This agreement was signed by Annapurna Pictures and is unaffected by the staff departures at Annapurna Interactive.
However, recent allegations of toxic work environments at partner studios have raised concerns, adding further challenges to the companyโs reputation.
Amid the uncertainty, Annapurna Interactive is focused on rebuilding its team and supporting its developer partners during this transition.
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