Veteran Call of Duty Developer David Vonderhaar Bids Farewell to Treyarch and Activision After 18 Years
David Vonderhaar, a veteran developer known for his substantial contributions to the Call of Duty franchise, especially the popular Black Ops series, has officially left his position at Treyarch and Activision. With a tenure spanning 18 years (almost 19 years), Vonderhaar played a significant role in shaping the series.
Vonderhaar announced his departure via a LinkedIn post, expressing his gratitude to his colleagues at Treyarch and acknowledging the passion of the Call of Duty community. He shared that he would remain in the gaming industry, currently working on an undisclosed project with a classified gaming company (fans of his work are surely looking forward to this!).
Today I am sharing that I have left Activision and Treyarch after an incredible 18 years and 8 Call of Duty games.
To my co-workers at Treyarch, I am immensely grateful for the time we invested working to improve our craft, never sitting on successes, and always wondering how to improve what we design and how we produce it.
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.
I am staying in the games industry, working on an undisclosed project I can’t discuss yet, but I am excited about a rare and unique opportunity. I’ll update you as soon as possible.”
During his time at Treyarch, Vonderhaar led the Black Ops franchise and participated in the development of several other Call of Duty titles, including Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, Call of Duty 3, World at War, and Call of Duty: Warzone.
Interestingly, Vonderhaar’s history with Activision dates back to 1996 when he served as a senior online manager. He later joined Treyarch in 2004 after working at Intuit and GameSpy. Activision acquired Treyarch in 2001.
Treyarch issued a statement bidding farewell to Vonderhaar,
Farewell to the legendary David Vonderhaar, whose discipline, creativity & innovation helped shape our games from COD 2: Big Red One to Black Ops Cold War. His iconic phrases & groundbreaking ideas will be missed. Excited for your next adventure. #ThankYouVahn”
Vonderhaar’s departure is undoubtedly a notable change for both Treyarch and the Call of Duty community, as his influence on the franchise has been substantial.
While his exact plans remain undisclosed, we will surely be one of the first to update you as soon as any further information about Vonderhaar’s secret project becomes available. Until then, feel free to share your thoughts about this news in the comments section below.
