Last February, we reported that Peter Molyneux had finally decided to stop communicating with the press as a result of the tidal wave of anger towards his studio 22Cans’ upcoming game, Godus. In a new development, Jack Attridge, a co-founder of 22Cans and Molyneux’s second in command, has quit the studio.
Attridge was long considered to be the one to take over Molyneux’s position of leadership at 22Cans, which was founded in 2012, whenever the man decided to retire. He was also regarded as a more reasoned counterweight to Molyneux’s penchant for extravagant promises, appearing with his mentor in developer videos addressed to fans.
Speaking to The Guardian, Attridge insisted that his departure was not due to the chaos that engulfed the studio in the past few months, but rather was a desire to start his own game studio with his own vision:
It was January that I said to Peter I was looking to leave 22Cans and go off to start my own thing. I was really worried that it might be perceived that I was leaving the studio because of that. It really is a shame because that felt like such a terrible time for us to part ways.
He added that Molyneux was extremely supportive of his decision and offered him plenty of business and strategic advice on how to go about starting his new studio:
Working with Peter is a bit like a relationship, almost like a marriage, and us splitting up was almost like a divorce. While it was so hard to start that conversation after all those years, I think he recognises that it’s time for me to move on. He even offered to let me develop my new game in his house. While it was a really awkward moment, it has been totally amicable. It would have been a real shame to leave on bad terms.
Although Attridge is no longer at 22Cans, he has left a parting gift in the form of a documentary he filmed during his tenure at the studio. This documentary will show what it was like to work at 22Cans and will be available to backers of Godus at some point.
Attridge, in the meantime, is working on a new, currently undisclosed project that he has described as “magical.” Godus, on the other hand, doesn’t look like it will see a proper release, with most of 22Cans having shifted their attention to a new game, The Trial, and a skeleton crew managing what was supposed to be a triumphant spiritual successor to Populous.