Following a dispute with the publisher's owner, all 25 members of Annapurna Interactive have reportedly resigned this month. Annapurna Interactive is a prominent video game publisher known for acclaimed titles like "What Remains of Edith Finch", "Outer Wilds", and “Stray.” As per Bloomberg, Annapurna Interactive president Nathan Gary and his team wanted to separate the video game division from its parent company to become independent. When negotiations fell through and Ellison left, Gary and other executives resigned, along with about 24 additional staff members.
“All 25 members of the Annapurna Interactive team collectively resigned,'' Gary and the group said in ha joint statement. “This was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make and we did not take this action lightly.”
New president Hector Sanchez has assured developers that the company will honor existing contracts and replace departed staff, according to sources. Sanchez, a co-founder of Annapurna Interactive, returned to the company last month.
The company’s film division, Annapurna Pictures, known for award-winning films like Her, American Hustle, and Zero Dark Thirty, has been growing its ambitions alongside its success in video game publishing. Annapurna Pictures also produced the animated film Nimona for Netflix, and recently teamed up with Remedy Entertainment to explore film and TV adaptations of Control and Alan Wake.
This year, Annapurna Interactive released Lorelei and the Laser Eyes and Open Roads. Upcoming games include Blade Runner 2033: Labyrinth, Ghost Bike, and Wanderstop. Davey Wreden, co-creatr of Stanley Parable, had announced the quirky, offbeat shop management sim Wanderstop with boutique publisher Annapurna earlier this summer, and it's still on track.
"For those asking, we're 100% fine," Wreden tweeted. "Nothing’s stopping us from getting Wanderstop out the door soon."