Veteran Call of Duty designer David Vonderhaar has left Treyarch

Veteran Call of Duty designer David Vonderhaar, who was best known for the Black Ops series, has left Activision after 18 years, he’s announced.

In his role as design director at Treyarch, Vonderhaar worked on a total of eight Call of Duty instalments, starting with the original game in 2003.

However, he was best known for his role on the Black Ops franchise, for which he led development on various campaigns, multiplayer modes and systems.

Announcing his departure on Friday, Vonderharr said he would be moving to another undisclosed role in the games industry.

“Today I am sharing that I have left Activision and Treyarch after an incredible 18 years and 8 Call of Duty games,” he wrote on his LinkedIn page.

“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.”

In a statement, Treyarch said: “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.”