The Game Director of The Division, Ryan Barnard, is leaving Ubisoft Massive to join the Hitman developer IO Interactive.
The Danish developer IO Interactive, a subsidiary of Square Enix, is getting reinforcement: The Game Director of The Division, Ryan Barnard, has left Ubisoft Massive and is now working for the developer of the Hitman series.
According to MCV, Barnard is set to take on the newly created role of Gameplay Director there. According to the publisher Square Enix, he will be the head of three core teams at IO Interactive responsible for Gameplay, Online, and World.
A statement from the publisher states that Barnard is the ideal person to tackle the upcoming tasks. This is evidenced by his contributions to game design in recent years.
We are happy to welcome this talent to the pool of great people working at IO.
As noted on Barnard’s LinkedIn page, he started his work at the new company in March. He began his career as an Associate Game Designer at Sony Online Entertainment in November 2003. After stints at EA Mythic and Crytek, he landed at Ubisoft Massive in September 2011, where he quickly rose from Associate Creative Director to Game Director. In this position, he significantly stamped his mark on The Division.
The reason for Ubisoft and Barnard parting ways is not known. However, it should not be related to the success of The Division.
All news, guides, and information about The Division can be found here.
