RockStar North Loses Boss of 15+ Years

All good things must someday end.

Ya’see, it’s not easy to remember, but Rockstar North wasn’t always the juggernaut responsible for the GTA games. Heck, there was a time when it wasn’t even a juggernaut--it was just a simple studio called DMA Design, that made simple games like Lemmings and Menace. But then, in 1997, the company released the first isometric 2D shooter, Grand Theft Auto, before being purchased by take-two and transforming gloriously into Rockstar North.

Well, one of the old legends of Rockstar North--and candidate for the Academy of Science and Arts Hall of Fame--Leslie Benzies, will be participating in the company no more. Indeed, after fifteen years working hard in the world of game design, Mr. Benzies will finally be stepping down as Boss of Rockstar North (and thus, a founder of classics such as Red Dead Redemption, Grand Theft Auto, and Manhunt) and moving on to greener pastures.

As reported by Kotaku:

“We can confirm that Leslie Benzies went on sabbatical on September 1, 2014 and has decided not to return to work for the company. We are very grateful for Leslie’s contributions to Rockstar over the last 15 years as we worked together to make some amazing games. Leslie helped us build an incredible team that will continue to create great experiences for our fans. Leslie will always be a friend to the company and of course we are going to miss him but we wish him the absolute best for the future.”

So that’s sad. Now, this was never one of the more high-profile developers, but still, I bet we’ll feel his loss once GTA VI is announced (as it inevitably will be). Regardless, it’s nice to hear his retirement wasn’t forced, out of desperation, or caused by a rift within the company--dude was just done, as near as we can tell. That’s how it should be in a perfect world, so, it’s encouraging the creator of one of the least perfect worlds in video games gets that kind of happy ending.

At least, unless he’s planning on starting something new. That’s an exciting idea…