By Annapurna Interactive, renowned for publishing indie hits like Stray, Outer Wilds, and What Remains of Edith Finch, is facing significant upheaval. Bloomberg reports that the entire staff of Annapurna Interactive, the gaming division of Megan Ellison’s Annapurna, has resigned. The departure follows failed attempts to convince Ellison to spin off the games division into a separate company. IGN has confirmed the report.
Former president Nathan Gary and other staff members expressed that the decision to resign was extremely difficult and not made lightly. “All 25 members of the Annapurna Interactive team collectively resigned,” Gary told Bloomberg.
An Annapurna spokesperson assured that existing games and projects will continue under the company’s umbrella. However, Annapurna has not yet responded to The Verge’s request for further comment.
The Hollywood Reporter previously reported that Gary, along with co-heads Deborah Mars and Nathan Vella, would be leaving the company. THR also mentioned that Annapurna plans to integrate its gaming operations with its other divisions, which include film, TV, and theater. Hector Sanchez, who recently led the Unreal Engine games business at Epic Games and is a co-founder of Annapurna Interactive, was announced as the new president of interactive and new media at Annapurna last month.
Annapurna Pictures, known for award-winning films such as Her, American Hustle, and Zero Dark Thirty, has been expanding its ambitions in the gaming sector. In 2020, the company began developing its games and launched an in-house animation division in 2022, which announced a movie adaptation of Stray. Annapurna Pictures also produced the acclaimed animated film Nimona for Netflix and recently partnered with Remedy Entertainment to explore film and TV adaptations of Control and Alan Wake.
