Jason West Respawn exit confirmed

Call of Duty co-creator Vince Zampella has confirmed that Jason West has left Respawn Entertainment, the developer the pair founded after their acrimonious exit from Activision-owned Infinity Ward.

In a succinct post on the Respawn website, Zampella waved goodbye to his long-time co-developer, saying he left for family reasons. Reports over the weekend claimed he left the studio in May last year, and may have retired from the industry.

"Jason has left Respawn to take care of some family issues," Zampella said. "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 wished 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's exit comes as some surprise given the circumstances surrounding the formation of Respawn. It was founded in 2010 after both West and Zampella were fired by Activision boss Bobby Kotick for alleged improper conduct, with EA picking up publishing duties. A high-profile court case was settled in 2012, with the pair receiving an undisclosed sum. West has left Respawn without shipping a game. Indeed, he has left without announcing a game.

All eyes are now on E3 in June, where Respawn is expected to show off its new game for the first time.