Raphael Colantonio, the president and co-founder of Arkane Studios, has announced that he is parting ways with the developer. He had been with the company since he co-founded it in 1999.

The news was shared in a post on Bethesda's blog written by Colantonio, who explained, "[I]t is time for me to step out to spend some time with my son and reflect on what is important to me and my future. I've had the opportunity to work with some of the best and brightest people in the industry, and I feel extremely lucky to have been part of this journey with everyone at Arkane."

Colantonio credits Arkane's acquisition by Bethesda parent company ZeniMax in 2010 as giving the developer "the opportunity to emerge as a world-class studio. ZeniMax enabled us to make the best games that we've ever made. And I know there is even more to come."

His statement attempts to reassure Arkane fans that nothing is wrong with the studio; he notes that Harvey Smith, with whom Colantonio directed Dishonored, will "oversee the team in Austin." Colantonio added, "I will be around for as long as necessary to ensure a smooth transition to the new management team in Lyon," referring to the studio's France-based location.

There's no indication if Colantonio intends to return to game development in the future. He's been in the industry for more than two decades, having worked at Electronic Arts before founding Arkane. The studio reached new heights with the release of Dishonored in 2012; GameSpot's in-depth documentary explored the impact that game had, the studio's origins, and more, featuring interviews with both Colantonio and Smith. You can watch Part 1 above.Raphael Colantonio, co-founder of Arkane Studios, is leaving the company after nearly 20 years.

He announced his departure in a public note on Bethesda.net, home to the development studio’s publisher.

“The last 18 years have been an amazing adventure — from starting Arkane in 1999, to making our first game, Arx Fatalis, to joining ZeniMax Media in 2010 and releasing the Dishonored series and Prey to critical acclaim — it is time for me to step out to spend some time with my son and reflect on what is important to me and my future,” Colantonio wrote in the letter to Arkane fans.

Top designer Harvey Smith will continue to oversee the Austin-based team, while Colantonio will stick around to help oversee the management team replacing him in Lyon, France. He neglected to say whether this is an exit from the games industry as well as one from Arkane.

Prior to starting Arkane, Colantonio worked at Electronic Arts and Infogrames. In 1999, he opened up Arkane with a group of friends; after working on games like Call of Duty: World at War and BioShock 2 — as well as some high-profile canceled projects, including Steven Spielberg’s LMNO — the company released Dishonored in 2012 to critical acclaim.

“I’ve lived many magical moments,” Colantonio said. “I’ve also been through the hard times. But, I can say that joining ZeniMax took things to the next level and gave Arkane the opportunity to emerge as a world-class studio.”Today the founder of Arkane Studios, Raf Colantonio, announced that after 18 years with the company, he is now stepping down. In a statement Colantonio said, "It is time for me to step out to spend some time with my son and reflect on what is important to me and my future."

Founded in 1999, Arkane Studios is the developer behind popular games like the Dishonored series and the recently released Prey. It was acquired by Bethesda Softworks' parent company Zenimax in 2010, to which Colantonio credits Arkane's continued success. "But, I can say that joining Zenimax took things to the next level and gave Arkane the opportunity to emerge as a world-class studio. Zenimax enabled us to make the best games that we've ever made," he said.

Colantonio says he'll be staying on as long as necessary to make sure the transition to new management is smooth. Harvey Smith, a co-creative director at Arkane, will be heading the Austin-based team, but it's unclear who's going to run the team in Lyon, France.

Whether Colantonio will go on to take a new position in the gaming industry or move on to something else entirely like BioWare co-founder Ray Muzyka will remain to be seen. At the very least, he'll still be playing games. "As I close, I'd like to thank the Arkane fans for their passion and support. I proudly join them as Arkane Studios' biggest champion, and I look forward to playing the extraordinary new games the studio is working on."

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