Call of Duty studio head at Xbox dev is retiring after over 36 years — he shipped 42 games, 18 CoD titles, and this criminally underrated shooter I love

The extremely popular shooter game franchise Call of Duty stands tall as one of the most popular FPS series' in the gaming industry, with new entries constantly in development across several different studios. One of its most prolific developers is Raven Software — and after upwards of four decades, the dev's studio head and co-founder is stepping down.

That's none other than Brian Raffel, who founded Raven alongside his brother Steve in 1990 and led the studio as it shipped (or helped to ship) 42 games from then until now. Raffel has served at the helm of the developer for 36 years, and has now chosen to enter "a well-earned retirement." The studio announced the news on Thursday morning.

"In 1990, inspired by a shared love of storytelling, Brian and his brother Steve set out to build something of their own. What began as a small creative pursuit known as Black Crypt grew into something far, far greater. Over the years, his leadership guided our studio through a wild and shifting industry, shaping it into what it is today," wrote Raven.

The studio went on to recognize the many different properties that Raffel helped to foster and create, as well as "how he has invested in the people and places around him." His work and his leadership has established a lasting legacy for both himself and all of Raven, it said.

"Brian, thank you for the stories, for the path you carved, and for the lives you've changed along the way. The impact you have had is timeless, and we wish you all the best in this next chapter," the developer added.

Throughout the years before Raven Software began developing Call of Duty titles, Raffel led the creation of 12 original IPs, including cult classics like the DOOM-inspired fantasy shooters Heretic and Hexen that were built on the engine used for id Software's legendary FPS, the ultraviolent 2000 shooter Soldier of Fortune, and the Star Wars Jedi Knight series.

Another game in that list is 2010's Singularity, which happens to be one of my favorite shooter games of yesteryear and one I consider criminally underrated. The single player FPS prominently features engaging time travel mechanics that send the player back and forth between post-WW2 Russia and the modern day, as well as plenty of intense gunplay and horror elements. It's a bit overly linear by today's standards, but still a fantastic game nevertheless.

During Raffel's tenure, Raven has also worked on and developed 18 different Call of Duty games, including Call of Duty: Ghosts, various different Black Ops and Modern Warfare titles, the ever-popular free-to-play battle royale game Call of Duty: Warzone, and the recently released Call of Duty: Black Ops 7.

Since Microsoft acquired Activision in late 2023, Raven Software has been a part of its first-party Xbox Game Studios publishing wing, and works on Call of Duty alongside other studios like Sledgehammer Games and Infinity Ward under the Xbox brand. Many of the titles it's worked on (including Black Ops 7) are also available on Xbox Game Pass.

Ultimately, Raffel has left a massive impact on the gaming industry and one of its largest franchises, and for fans of the shooter games he's helped build and support, it's sad to see him go. As Raven said in its statement, though, his retirement is well earned, and I hope whatever he does next leaves him happy and fulfilled.

🗨️ Which Raven game is your favorite?

Under Brian Raffel's leadership, Raven Software has developed and released countless memorable games throughout the last several decades, ranging from cult classics like Heretic and Hexen to some of the most popular Call of Duty entries in the entire franchise.

With Raffel now departing the studio he founded with his brother, I can't help but wonder: what's your favorite game from Raven Software? Let me know in the comments, and vote in our poll:

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