David Vonderhaar Leaves Treyarch After 18-Year Tenure

After nearly two decades of service, David Vonderhaar has bid farewell to Treyarch, the renowned Call of Duty development studio. In a LinkedIn post, Vonderhaar announced his departure, revealing that he has embarked on a new, undisclosed project that presents a "rare and unique opportunity." As of August 2023, his LinkedIn profile lists his current role as a game designer at an unnamed company. Vonderhaar initially joined Treyarch in October 2004 as an online manager and rose through the ranks to become studio design director. Throughout his tenure, he contributed to the development of eight Call of Duty games, including five installments of the highly acclaimed Black Ops series, as well as other notable titles such as 007: Quantum of Solace and X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse. In his farewell post, Vonderhaar expressed his gratitude to his former colleagues and the Call of Duty community, stating: "To my co-workers at Treyarch, I am deeply thankful for the time we spent honing our craft, pushing beyond our successes, and continually seeking ways to improve our design and production processes." He also thanked the Call of Duty community for their enthusiasm and passion, which he believes has been a driving force behind the studio's determination. Treyarch is believed to be working on a new Call of Duty title, likely slated for release next year. The studio has traditionally released a Call of Duty game every three years since 2012, with its most recent title being 2020's Black Ops: Cold War. However, the release of their next game was reportedly delayed as Activision Blizzard reassesses its approach to the series. This year, gamers can expect the release of Sledgehammer Games' Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, developed in collaboration with Infinity Ward.