Project Rene Game Director Grant Rodiek (SimGuruGrant) Departs Maxis and EA

"alanmichael1;c-18345074" wrote:
It's sad that he wants to search for "cool things" elsewhere while he's developing TS5. Is the franchise in a crisis?

There's not enough public information to know if he was "pushed out" or left entirely of his own volition. Speaking generally, someone who is pushed out on good terms may resign to not burn bridges, receive positive references, and frame it as their own decision to leave.

If you examine the text of his statement, he explicitly mentions not having a job lined up, asks his network for opportunities, and acknowledges the challenging job market right now. From this, it appears more likely than not that he was pushed out. I wish him well in his future endeavors. He was an assistant producer on the Sims 2 OFB, one of my favorite packs.

We know last year that EA, as with many companies, participated in layoffs, though there is no evidence that this is connected.

He is only one high-profile executive from Rene who left, so I don't conclude that the franchise is in crisis. However, it is something to monitor.