According to an internal memo acquired by Giant Bomb, Infinity Ward and Neversoft will be merged into one studio.
According to the memo sent by Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg, after Neversoft helped with the development of Extinction Mode on Call of Duty: Ghosts, “it seemed like a single ‘super-studio’ could emerge,” and so the merge seemed a “sensible choice.”
The merge will see Neversoft absorbed by Infinity Ward and so the Neversoft name will be retired. “The impact of [Neversoft’s] 20-year run of hard work and success cannot be overstated,” Hirshberg wrote, in part. “We are merging these two very talented teams and obviously had to choose a name for the combined studio. Since the Infinity Ward brand is indelibly tied to the Call of Duty franchise, it is the sensible choice.”
“While it will be strange to not see the Neversoft logo on future games, the important things–which are the Neversoft team’s talent, creativity, professionalism and commitment to creative excellence–all remain unchanged as part of this new chapter.”
Neversoft studio head Joel Jewett and studio director Scott Pease will remain at the company during the transition period, but both will retire from the company by the end of the year. Activision’s executive VP of worldwide studios Dave Stohl will lead the studio, and current studio head Steve Ackrich will remain in a leadership role with Infinity Ward.
(via VG247)