Returnal game director Harry Krueger departs Housemarque after 14 years

Returnal and Nex Machina game director Harry Krueger is departing Housemarque after 14 years.

Krueger said he leaves with the studio primed for future success following its acquisition by PlayStation maker Sony in 2021.

The veteran developer initially joined Housemarque as a gameplay programmer in 2009 and received his first studio credits on Dead Nation and Outland. He was then promoted to lead programmer, which allowed him to flex his creative muscles on voxel-based shoot 'em up, Resogun.

Krueger was subsequently named game director in 2014 and is now set to depart after spending years working on "one dream project after another."

"It's been an honor to accompany Housemarque on this journey, witnessing our growth from our smaller arcade-inspired titles to the magnificent heights we reached with Returnal. We really shook the pillars of heaven together, and I will forever be proud of all the amazing things we've accomplished as a studio," said Krueger in a blog post. 

"Departing from Housemarque was a very difficult decision for me, but I'm leaving the company with nothing but deep gratitude for the past, and a glowing optimism for the future–with an exciting new project in the works, a fantastic team that's stronger than ever, and the continuous support of Sony and Playstation Studios, I know that Housemarque's brightest chapter has yet to be written."

Underlining how far Housemarque has come during Krueger's tenure, studio general manager and co-founder Ilari Kuittinen said the company witnessed and survived the "death of Arcade" and eventually achieved growth milestones "we once only dreamed of."

"Harry's passion and direction have been vital in sculpting our studio's trajectory to the current scale," he added. "The rebirth of 'Arcade' defined by Returnal, speaks volumes of his impact and vision, and is a great point for future leaders to take over and keep improving upon."

The PlayStation studio is currently working on a "big project" it hopes will become the "next best thing from Finland."