David Vonderhaar’s name was synonymous with the success of Treyarch’s string of Call of Duty titles. Since starting with the firm in 2004 – and coming over from Activision before that – Vonderhaar worked on the design front, handling content for eight individual Call of Duty games – some of the best titles that the series ever saw.
Minutes ago, Vonderhaar announced his departure from Treyarch on LinkedIn after almost 19 years with the company, revealing that he’s moving on to work on an ‘undisclosed project’ that’s both a rare and unique opportunity. He was referred to in the comments on this post as an ‘integral part of Call of Duty’, and that’s certainly true, given what he went on to design and create.
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Vonderhaar was responsible for designing some of the most important elements of some of the biggest Call of Duty games of all time, like 2010’s Black Ops. In his post on LinkedIn, Vonderhaar shared a sentimental message with his followers and the Call of Duty community at large:
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.
He went on to stress that he will remain in the games industry, but it’s not known what he’s moving onto.
It was a few years ago that some doubt started circulating regarding Vonderhaar’s position at Treyarch, with certain cryptic tweets surfacing in 2019 that pointed to what seemed like an imminent departure. However, those tweets were promptly deleted, the whole thing was put to bed, and Vonderhaar put a few more years into his tenure at Treyarch.
It’s undoubtedly a huge hole for Treyarch to fill, and we’re joining many fans in wishing David Vonderhaar all the best with whatever comes next.
Insider Gaming learned that David Vonderhaar had left Treyarch earlier this week, but Activision declined to comment on our upcoming report.
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