Jason West's Respawn departure confirmed; family issues cited

Reports yesterday that Call of Duty co-creator and Respawn co-founder Jason West has left the studio have been confirmed.

that Call of Duty co-creator and Respawn co-founder Jason West has left the studio have been confirmed. West, who co-founded Respawn following his sacking from Infinity Ward amidst a barrage of lawsuits, has left the studio due to family issues. The news was confirmed by Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella, who today posted a statement on the company's official website.

"Jason has left Respawn to take care of some family issues," Zampella wrote. "We have worked together on some amazing accomplishments over the years, starting with an early Segasoft project that never shipped. It is sad to see things come to an end, but there are times when change is best for growth, both personally and professionally.

"I wish Jason the best and send my best wishes to his family. Respawn continues to amaze me, the team here is resilient and talented. E3 will be therapeutic for us, as we finally get to start showing our work again. I know the team was excited about the response we got from just admitting we were going to attend."

West and Zampella were sacked from Infinity Ward and Activision in 2010. The pair sued Activision, Activision sued EA - who the duo were accused of secretly plotting deals with - and eventually the dispute was settled out of court confidentially. Respawn is expected to showcase a new game for EA at E3 this year.