As a long-time follower of the gaming industry and an admirer of Annapurna Interactive’s captivating portfolio, I must admit that I was taken aback by the recent mass exodus of staff from this esteemed publisher. The news came like a bolt from the blue, leaving many fans and industry insiders scratching their heads in disbelief.
Recently, all 25 employees of Annapurna Interactive chose to resign en masse, which left the company without any staff members. This surprising decision was made due to differences in opinion regarding the direction of the company. Despite their departure, Annapurna has previously published critically acclaimed games like Stray, Outer Wilds, and The Artful Escape, and they are still working on a Blade Runner game.
A fresh update by IGN offers insights into the matter. As per the report, shifts in management significantly impacted events, although the events preceding the mass exodus are intricate and necessitate a brief overview of the company’s historical background for a comprehensive understanding.
In 2016, Megan Ellison, who is the owner of Annapurna Pictures and daughter of billionaire Larry Ellison, established the video game company, Annapurna Interactive. At that time, Annapurna Pictures was facing financial difficulties. To help steer the new gaming studio’s direction, Ellison brought on board Nathan Gary, Deborah Mars, and Hector Sanchez – all of whom had worked for Sony previously. However, in 2019, Hector Sanchez left the team, and Nathan Vella from Capybara Games joined shortly afterwards. In 2019, Megan Ellison stepped away from active involvement with Annapurna Interactive, allowing it to operate independently. But, Larry Ellison returned to a more hands-on role in 2021.
2021 saw me (Nathan Gary) being appointed as president of Annapurna Pictures. However, according to anonymous sources in IGN’s report, my focus mostly stayed with Annapurna Interactive. In the early months of 2024, it seems there was a disagreement between me and other changes happening within the staff at Annapurna, which led to my resignation or termination (depending on the source). An Annapurna spokesperson confirmed the latter. This upset some team members who quit in protest. However, Ellison called a video meeting where she expressed her wish to keep the entire team intact, even those who had resigned. Remarkably, it seems this plan worked and I, along with others who had left, returned to the team.
Later on, Gary and Ellison started brainstorming about setting up a new studio, which would remain associated with Annapurna Pictures, named Verset. Essentially, this new studio would comprise of Gary and the team from Annapurna Interactive. The ongoing projects under Annapurna Interactive would be handled by Verset. Moreover, ownership of Verset would be shared between the heads of both Verset and Annapurna Interactive.
As a gamer, I’ve noticed some rumblings among the team at Annapurna Interactive. They’re uneasy about the concept of Verset, as it seems like it might be stepping on their toes and creating a rival within our ranks. Plus, there’s the move to bring Hector Sanchez back on board at Annapurna Pictures as the “president of interactive and new media.” Some folks are worried that this could stir up even more competition within our own team, potentially causing tension and confusion.
According to IGN’s informants, another issue is a contract that Annapurna Pictures made with Remedy for the publishing rights of Control 2. It appears that Sanchez handled the negotiations himself, and Annapurna Interactive staff reportedly learned about the Remedy deal on the day it was publicly announced.
Annapurna Interactive employees expressed their frustration over a perceived lack of transparency and Ellison’s decision-making style by giving her a two-week notice before initiating a mass exodus on September 6, as reported by IGN. Ellison, apparently, didn’t engage in negotiations with the team, and it seems she also failed to inform other Annapurna development partners about the impending walkout and its potential impact on production.
At the moment, it appears that Annapurna Pictures’ team is stepping in temporarily at Interactive to complete any outstanding obligations and meet deadlines. However, one game, Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, which they are developing in-house rather than through a partnered studio, remains uncertain for now.
Regarding Annapurna Interactive’s perspective on the matter, a representative from the company labeled it as “perplexing” and mentioned that they are currently concentrating on advancing their plans.
The spokesperson shared with IGN that the majority of our current development teams have had fantastic discussions with us, for which we are thankful and appreciative of their collaboration. Based on the messages in our inbox, it seems many developers are eager to join us in our project, and we can’t wait to review their proposals. Moreover, we’ve received a significant number of impressive job applications, and we’re thrilled about assembling a team that shares our dedication to creating unique narratives not found elsewhere. By the way, we’re currently hiring!
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2024-09-24 16:39