Infinity Ward stung by third walkout

Another two longstanding Infinity Ward employees have left the beleaguered Modern Warfare studio.

Experienced programmer Jon Shiring and lead designer Mackey McCandlish have separately confirmed they have quit the studio – with both departing in the wake of a destructivelegal row between Activision and two Infinity Ward co-founders.

Shiring and Mackey’s departure marks the third wave of walkouts at Infinity Ward – at least, known to the public – since early March.

[TIMELINE – INFINITY-GATE]

It was previously reported that lead designer Todd Alderman and lead software engineer Francesco Gigliotti both walked out of the Call of Duty studio – a departure made one month after Infinity Ward’s co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella were allegedly fired by Activision bosses.

The unremittingly tense relationship between Infinity Ward and its owner Activision – built up over the past two years – quickly became the backdrop to fierce legal allegations by both Activision and the ousted Infinity Ward co-founders.

Shiring announced his resignation from the Encino-based Infinity Ward via Twitter.

“After almost 6 years at Infinity Ward, I resigned today. I’m incredibly proud of everything we accomplished and I’m going to miss everyone," he said, as quoted by news site 1UP.

Shiring worked at Infinity Ward for nearly six years, and announced his departure on the same day that Zampella and West revealed they had established a new development outfit – one, in a new if predictable twist, backed by Activision’s fiercest rival Electronic Arts.

Meanwhile, Kotaku reports that Modern Warfare 2 lead designer Mackey McCandlish confirmed his departure from Infinity Ward via Facebook.