After twenty years in the industry, legendary designer Cliff Bleszinski, better known as ‘Cliffy B’, has announced a hiatus from both Epic Games and the industry as a whole.

Bleszinski started work in the industry back in 1992, coming to fame with his Jazz Jackrabbit title at what was then known as Epic MegaGames. Quickly moving up the ranks of Epic Games, Bleszinski took on the role of software design director, overseeing majority of game development at the company. Over the years, Bleszinski has gained a reputation for a casual, frank, and friendly public image, and is perhaps best known for founding the Unreal and Gears of War series.

At thirty seven years of age, Bleszinski has stated that he “grew up” in the gaming industry, having spent the last twenty years working day in and day out on software direction and design. And now it’s time for a much needed break. Bleszinski’s full statement regarding his departure can be read below:

I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager, and outside of my sabbatical last year, I have been going non-stop. I literally grew up in this business, as Mike likes to say. And now that I’m grown up, it’s time for a much needed break.

I will miss the projects, the playtests, the debates, and most importantly, the people. Epic only hires the best of the best, and it has been a joy working with each and every one of you on a daily basis, whether you were hired weeks ago or decades ago. I have been fortunate enough to collaborate with a variety of disciplines, from code to art to marketing and PR – it’s been one big, rewarding learning experience. I’m confident that each project that is being built, whether at Epic, Chair, PCF, or Impossible will be top notch and will please gamers and critics alike.

Rocket Chainsaw would like to wish the best to Bleszinski and his well deserved early retirement.