Update, January 30: Square Enix Montréal have provided a statement on Dief’s departure.
“We are sad to see Teddy leave Square Enix Montréal and thank him for his contributions during his tenure at the studio,” the studio tells us. “We wish him the best of luck and look forward to seeing and playing what he creates in the future.”
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Original story, January 30: Back in 2016, Hyper Light Drifter’s Teddy Dief joined Square Enix Montreal as a creative director. However, just two years later, Dief has announced his departure from the company due to the project he was working on being cancelled.
On his blog, Dief called the position “a dream role” and explained he felt his departure deserved an explanation.
“My team were working on a game that I deeply wish we could have shared with you,” Dief wrote. “But the business strategy of the studio shifted, and our project was sadly no longer compatible.
“Thankfully, the talented team remain employed and valued, assigned to other projects. Because of this shift and the loss of our project, I no longer feel this is the place for me to pursue the type of work I aspire to make – the avenues of storytelling in game design I’ve been trying to explore in my career.”
Dief went on to say he is returning to Los Angeles and returning full-time indie development.