Neversoft closes as staff merges with Infinity Ward to form ‘super-studio’

Activison has set into motion some serious internal reshuffling, as the publisher plans to close down its Neversoft studio and merge its current staff with Infinity Ward to form what the company is calling a ‘super-studio.’

Giant Bomb first reported on an internal memo from Activision Publishing CEO Eric Hirshberg, which revealed the impending merger.

"As you know, Neversoft and Infinity Ward teamed up for the development of Call of Duty: Ghosts," wrote Hirshberg in the memo. "Through that process, it became clear that the two studios have very complementary skill sets. Between these two excellent studios, it seemed like a single ‘super-studio’ could emerge."

"We are merging these two very talented teams and obviously had to choose a name for the combined studio. Since the Infinity Ward brand is indelibly tied to the Call of Duty franchise, it is the sensible choice. While it will be strange to not see the Neversoft logo on future games, the important things, which are the Neversoft team’s talent, creativity, professionalism and commitment to creative excellence, all remain unchanged as part of this new chapter."

Infinity Ward later confirmed the validity of the report on Twitter:

"We’re thrilled about our merger with @Neversoft! The entire team is excited about the future."

According to the memo, Neversoft head Joel Jewett and studio director Scott Pease are quitting the company; while Activision worldwide studio head Dave Stohl is now the head of Infinity Ward.

Neversoft was originally formed in 1994 and is best known for developing the Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero franchises.