Spec Ops: The Line lead narrative designer leaves 2K Games

Spec Ops: The Line was a stock standard third-person cover shooter on the outside, but on the inside it was a bracing meditation on military games which prompted whole book long dissections .

. So it's sad to hear that Walt Williams, the game's lead narrative designer, yesterday announced his departure from 2k Games after nine years with the publisher.

"After nine years of working at 2K Games, I'm sad to announce that today is my last day," Williams announced on Twitter. "I'll still be working in games, but in the background. Which means there won't be a 'next game' for a while. But there will be books."

Williams has recently worked on the writing team for Turtle Rock's Evolve and Firaxis' Civilization: Beyond Earth. Regarding his departure, Williams later clarified that while he's "not leaving games, but I am leaving AAA".

As for Spec Ops, well, it doesn't look like the series has much of a future. Despite unanimous critical acclaim the game didn't perform outstandingly at retail. "If you can't compete with the big ones, the risk is too big," Yager managing director Timo Ullman said. "The market for 'smart' or 'intellectual' games is too niche. Elitist almost."

The studio is now working on Dead Island 2- the very antithesis of elitism.