Bloomberg reports that the entire staff of Annapurna Interactive have collectively resigned. The division of Annapurna that handled game publishing collectively resigned following a dispute with the Annapurna's owner, Megan Ellison.
Annapurna Interactive president Nathan Gary and his team were reportedly negotiating with Ellison to try to spin off the gaming division into an independent entity. Ellison then pulled out of these negotiations, which was the final straw for Gary and his team. Gary, other executives, and about two dozen other employees all resigned.
"All 25 members of the Annapurna Interactive team collectively resigned," Gary and the group said in a joint statement. "This was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make and we did not take this action lightly."
A spokesperson for Annapurna did say that existing games and projects will remain under Annapurna. Megan Ellison also provided a statement to Bloomberg.
"Our top priority is continuing to support our developer and publishing partners during this transition," Ellison said in a statement to Bloomberg News. "We’re committed to not only our existing slate of games but also expanding our presence in the interactive space as we continue to look for opportunities to take a more integrated approach to linear and interactive storytelling across film and TV, gaming, and theater."
Annapurna Interactive published titles such as Outer Wilds, What Remains of Edith Finch, Stray, Wattam, Thirsty Suitors, and several other bangers. For those wondering, this situation with Annapurna Interactive does not seem to have any impact on the recent partnership between Annapurna and Remedy Entertainment. Remedy's deal is with Annapurna Pictures, the parent company to Annapurna Interactive.
