Highlights
- Harry Krueger, the game director of Returnal, has announced his departure from Housemarque after 14 years of working with the company.
- Krueger played a significant role in the development of Returnal, which was the studio’s biggest project to date.
- Housemarque will be creating a new IP for its next game instead of working on a sequel to Returnal. Information about the new game is currently limited.
Harry Krueger, who worked as the game director of Returnal, has confirmed his departure from Housemarque after working there for over 14 years. Krueger was a prominent figure in the company before leaving, as he was a key member of the studio’s biggest project so far, the third-person shooter Returnal.
Housemarque is a Finnish game developer owned by PlayStation Studios since 2021. The company got its start back in 1995 and is the oldest studio in the country. Krueger has been working there since 2009. He started as a gameplay programmer and became a game director in 2014, a position he held until now. During this time, the company launched games like Dead Nation, Outland, Resogun, Alienation, Nex Machina, Matterfall, and Returnal.
Now, Housemarque revealed that Harry Krueger will leave his position as game director at the Finnish studio. When talking about his retirement from the company, Krueger stated that it was a very difficult decision to make, and said that “During my 14 years at Housemarque, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work on one dream project after another, and had the privilege of working alongside some truly talented and wonderful people along the way.” Krueger also reflected on his work in the studio, talking about how Housemarque shifted from a small Indie studio that launched titles like Resogun and Nex Machina to the big Returnal, a project that was rewarded with multiple awards and was the first AAA experience he worked on.
During my 14 years at Housemarque, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work on one dream project after another, and had the privilege of working alongside some truly talented and wonderful people along the way.
Ilari Kuittinen, the general manager and co-founder of Housemarque, also talked about Krueger’s work. He praised the employee’s leadership and dedication and credited the game director for sculpting the company’s success, especially during the development of the critically successful Returnal, which is the company’s biggest hit. At the moment, it’s not clear if Krueger will continue to work in the game industry, or, if he does, to which studio he will go.
As Harry Krueger leaves Housemarque, the PlayStation-owned studio continues the development of its yet-unnamed upcoming game. Instead of working on a sequel to Returnal, Housemarque will create a new IP for its next game. At the moment, however, not much information is known about the title. The game will employ unused ideas and narrative systems that did not appear in Returnal, according to the developers, but essentially nothing is known about its setting. While Krueger will no longer be a part of the company soon, he may have done some work on the upcoming game, which would make it the last one influenced by his decisions in Housemarque.
Returnal
Returnal is a PlayStation-exclusive title that blends together action, sci-fi, and roguelike elements. The end result is a fast-paced shooter and melee affair that has players living in an endless loop as they attempt to escape a hostile alien planet. The world is procedurally generated and provides almost endless replay value. Enter Returnal’s barren world in search of an ancient civilization.
- Platform(s)
- PS5, PC
- Released
- April 30, 2021
- Developer(s)
- Housemarque
- Publisher(s)
- Sony
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter