Annapurna Interactive Faces Internal Disagreements Leading to Team Resignations
Late last month, Annapurna Interactive made headlines by announcing a partnership with Remedy to develop Control 2 and adapt the franchise, including Alan Wake, for film and television. However, recent internal disputes within the company have resulted in the entire interactive team resigning from Annapurna.
According to a report by Bloomberg, the resignations came after failed negotiations between Annapurna founder Megan Ellison and Annapurna Interactive president Nathan Gary regarding the potential spin-off of the gaming section as a standalone company. Following Ellison’s decision to end the discussions, Gary, along with division co-heads Deborah Mars and Nathan Vella, as well as the rest of the team, decided to leave the company. In a statement provided to Bloomberg, the team expressed the difficulty of their decision to resign collectively.
As part of their announcement of the partnership with Remedy, Annapurna introduced ex-Epic Games executive Hector Sanchez as the new president of interactive and new media for the company. Sanchez will be taking over the role previously held by Gary as president of Annapurna Interactive.
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier confirmed that the deal between Remedy and Annapurna for Control 2 and Alan Wake remains unaffected by the resignations.
“Since a lot of people are asking: Remedy’s deal for Control 2 and Alan Wake is with the broader company, Annapurna Pictures, and is not impacted by the departure of Annapurna Interactive’s staff” – Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) September 12, 2024
In response to these events, Ellison reassured the public that Annapurna will fulfill its commitments to other gaming partners.
“Our primary focus is to uphold our support for our developer and publishing partners during this transition,” Ellison stated. “We are dedicated to not only our current lineup of games but also to expanding our presence in the interactive space as we seek opportunities to merge linear and interactive storytelling across various media platforms.”
As of now, it remains uncertain whether Gary and his team will establish their own company or pursue separate paths in the industry.