Call of Duty: Black Ops Dev Opens a New Studio
Ex-Call of Duty veteran developer David Vonderhaar has started a new studio working on an ambitious AAA project.
Last year, Activision-owned Treyarch's studio design director David Vonderhaar announced his departure from the company after 18 years and 8 successfully shipped Call of Duty games. He's known for being a key member of the Treyarch leadership team as it worked on critically acclaimed series such as Black Ops.
Recently, Vonderhaar has reemerged as a studio head of BulletFarm, a new NetEase Games-owned studio headquartered in Los Angeles, but positioned as remote-first. BulletFarm is already working on a new original AAA title, built in Unreal Engine 5 with an emphasis on co-op gameplay, claiming that this game "will craft a more intimate and relatable experience while offering a fresh take on first-person gameplay".
Chris Cowell, another Call of Duty veteran developer, has also joined BulletFarm as a Creative Director.
"Starting this new studio has given me a chance to step out of my comfort zone and try my hand at making something entirely new and different. This is a departure from the games I've worked on, but one that showcases my passion for rich characters, precise mechanics, more intimate storytelling, and plenty of action. NetEase has provided us an incredible support structure to explore these new avenues and allow true freedom to begin building the concept and ideas for our game", commented David Vonderhaar.
Image Credit: BulletFarm
BulletFarm currently has a handful of key roles open and is actively hiring across all disciplines and at multiple levels.
Their website says the studio's goal for 2024 is to build a core team of up to 15 talents, "who will determine the direction we take our game as we all work together on a playable prototype". BulletFarm strongly emphasizes its wish to create a diverse environment and encourages to apply even if you think your portfolio might not be the right fit.
The list of current job openings includes:
- Animator
- Art Director
- Concept Artist (Contract)
- Gameplay Programmer
- Hard Surface Artist
- Network Programmer
- Producer
- Senior Gameplay Programmer
- Senior Level Designer
- Technical Artist
- Technical Director (Engine & Gameplay)
- Technical Game Designer
Apply to BulletFarm here and join our 80 Level Talent platform and our Telegram channel, follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn, where we share breakdowns, the latest news, awesome artworks, and more.
