LucasArts was quick to say development of The Force Unleashed 2 won't be impacted, but the timing of the move is certainly a head scratcher with the game set to ship on October 26.
"I've had a fantastic time working with the team at Lucasfilm and am really grateful for their ongoing support," Blackman said in a short statement. "While the decision to leave LucasArts did not happen overnight or come easily, I really feel that now is the best time for me to move on and explore new creative challenges and I look forward to the next phase of my career."
For its part, LucasArts had nothing but praise for Blackman. "After 13 years of service, Haden Blackman has resigned from LucasArts. From launching Behind the Magic to delivering Star Wars: The Force Unleashed I and II, Haden has been an invaluable member of the team during his tenure with the company," the company said in its own statement. "We are extremely grateful for his many contributions, fully support him in his new endeavors and wish him all the best in the future."
Sharkey says: The timing of this screams a conflict between corporate and creative, but that's pure speculation. Whatever the reason, leaving the company three months before the game you wrote and executive produced ships appears, to this writer anyway, to be a statement.
