Two BioShock Infinite Directors Leave Irrational

According to an article on Gamasutra today, two high-ranking members of the development team on BioShock Infinite have left Irrational Games for reasons as-yet unknown. Director of product development Tim Gerritsen and art director Nate Wells have both reportedly left their positions with the company, with Wells’s destination having been briefly hinted at by updates to Twitter and his LinkedIn page.

The post reports that Wells had updated his resume on LinkedIn to list Uncharted and Last of Us developer as an employer for 2012—an update that has since been erased. Over on Twitter, he changed his bio to read “New Job…Details to follow,” but that, too, has been erased after it raised scrutiny online. Wells’s departure in particular has generated quite a bit of interest among BioShock fans online since he’s been credited as having had a very strong hand in defining the franchise’s artistic aesthetic since the first game in the series.

The post also notes Irrational president Ken Levine’s Twitter message today:

Scott Sinclair, art director of Bio1, back in the art director’s chair for Infinite to bring it home. Can’t wait to show you what’s cooking.

— Ken Levine (@IGLevine) August 8, 2012

While there doesn’t seem to be much being said as far as the circumstances of these departures, it seems that by not saying anything, the parties involved are actually saying quite a bit. The fact that there’s been no, “It’s time to move on,” or “We’re really sad to see Tim and Nate go,” kinds of statements being made in traditional PR terms, it signals that all is not right in Big Daddy’s house.

The release date for BioShock Infinite has already been delayed once, moving from fall 2012 to February 26, 2013. As of now, there’s no word as to whether or not the game will suffer another delay, but don’t be surprised if you’re not playing this game until next June…

Gamasutra via Joystiq