Today’s Dev Talk is a bit different than usual, because after 11 years at the helm of Albion Online, Robin Henkys is stepping down as Game Director. While he will continue to play a role in the development of the game, Robin is taking a step back from his day-to-day responsibilities in order to focus more on his family. Overall creative leadership will pass on to three longstanding members of the senior design team – Moritz Bokelmann, Michael Schwahn, and Jon Craft.
Robin had this to say about the transition:
“After 11 years as Game Director, I’ve recently stepped down from this responsibility and I’m passing it into new hands. We wanted to make sure this transition was handled with care, and most importantly, with continuity in mind. Rather than bringing someone in from outside, we’ve looked inward and promoted from within. The people stepping into the design leadership roles are long-standing members of our senior design team – people who have been in the trenches of Albion’s development for many years, and who many of you know well. They know this game inside and out, and they’ve helped me to shape its direction. I’m really thankful for the joy Albion has given me over the years, and I want to thank all of you for continuing to be a part of that. I’m really looking forward to seeing where the team takes the game from here. It’s an exciting time for Albion Online, after all. The game is bigger than it ever was, and there are more people working on it than ever before. I’m also still going to be a part of that. Even now, I’m working in the background on long term plans for the game, expanding the world of Albion and its backstory. I also won’t completely disappear from videos. In fact, please let us know in the comments what questions you may have about this transition, and we’ll make sure to answer them if we can.”
Robin’s tenure as Game Director saw Albion Online go from strength to strength, with many important milestones along the way, and his impact has been immeasurable. The new creative leadership team bring boundless passion, experience, and talent to the game, though, and its future is in good hands indeed.
For Robin’s full statement, and to hear from two of the new Creative Directors, check out the video above. And if you have questions, post them in the comments – we’ll be back with a new video to address them soon!