Call of Duty loses one of its best-known and most veteran designers, Mr. Black Ops himself

News
By published

David Vonderhaar is leaving Activision and Treyarch after 18 years and 8 games

Call of Duty: Black Ops: Cold War multiplayer reveal
(Image credit: Activision)

Longtime Call of Duty lead David Vonderhaar, best known as the studio design director behind the entire Black Ops franchise, is leaving Activision and Treyarch altogether. 

CharlieIntel flagged a LinkedIn post from Vonderhaar earlier today. After 18 years spent making eight Call of Duty games, Vonderhaar says he's leaving the franchise and its owners to move onto "an undisclosed project" in the games industry. 

"Thank you to the Call of Duty community for your passion and enthusiasm," Vonderhaar's post reads. "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 is always a massive part of me."

Treyarch put out a statement acknowledging Vonderhaar's departure and his contributions to Call of Duty: "Farewell to the legendary David Vonderhaar, whose discipline, creativity and innovation helped shape our games from COD 2: Big Red One to Black Ops Cold War. His iconic phrases and groundbreaking ideas will be missed. Excited for your next adventure."

The replies to Treyarch's post go to show just how well-known Vonderhaar has become, and how beloved the Black Ops franchise still is. Call of Duty games are made by massive development teams, but in the eyes of many, Vonderhaar is Mr. Black Ops. I've been scrolling for a while, and I couldn't count the replies saying something to the tune of "the absolute GOAT." I was also particularly struck by this comment, which demonstrates a rare degree of reverence: "Man patched the DSR but still love him." 

The next Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 3, is undoing some controversial changes made in Modern Warfare 2. 

Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.