PlanetSide 2 creative director Matthew Higby has announced his departure from Daybreak Game Company (formerly known as Sony Online Entertainment).
Taking to Reddit, Higby said, "This is a move I've been considering for a while now, and the reorganization provided the right opportunity for me to exit."
The "reorganization" he's referring to, of course, is Sony selling Sony Online Entertainment to Columbus Nova, an investment firm that specializes in technology, media and entertainment. Although the sale took place nearly two weeks ago, developers at Daybreak Game Company have still been feeling the effects. Just this week, several members of the original SOE staff were laid off. While we don't know how many to be exact, some of the casualties were EverQuest's franchise director of development David Georgeson and director of global community relations Linda Carlson.
Higby assured current PlanetSide 2 players that the game is still "in great hands, with terrific people who honestly care about the game and the players. I can't stress this enough, the folks working on every aspect of the game, developers, marketing, community are talented, hard working people who care more than you can imagine – I'm fully confident they're going to do an amazing job on the next leg of the journey."
Perhaps more than anything, I'm going to miss Higby's personality. He wasn't just some developer working on PlanetSide 2. He brought charisma, personality, and passion to the game. He created a sense of camaraderie among the community that I hope will remain despite his departure. It's unclear if Higby will remain in the gaming industry or if he will take a break and pursue other goals.
PlanetSide 2 is currently in closed beta testing on PlayStation 4.
