Mark Healey, co-founder of Media Molecule is leaving after 17 years with the acclaimed studio.
Healey himself sent out on Twitter short thread announcing it was his last day with Media Molecule. “So, after SEVENTEEN incredible years of co-birthing and building Media Molecule – I have decided it is time for me to fly the nest – set sail and chart a new course – today is my last day at MM. From LittleBigPlanet to Dreams and beyond – proud to have played my part and lucky to have jammed with some truly brilliant people – and such a wonderfully talented Community which I will continue to be a fan of.”
Healey, alongside Kareem Ettouney, and Alex Evans, founded Media Molecule in 2006. Healey went on and developed games like Little Big Planet, Tearaway, and Dreams for Media Molecule. Their most successful and iconic franchise, Little Big Planet was a PlayStation 3 exclusive released in 2008, it was met with commercial success and universal acclaim. The Little Big Planet franchise still continues strong today, there’s been two sequels, Little Big Planet 2 and Little Big Planet 3, a few spinoff titles, as well as Sackboy: A Big Adventure for the PlayStation 5.
Studio Director Siobhan Reddy also announced Mark Healey’s departure directly from Media Molecule’s Twitter. “Mark co-founded Media Molecule and has been a creative driving force for the studio throughout the years.” Reddy writes of her colleague, “We have many great memories making games with Mark – his passion for sharing creativity, his encouragement to always choose the original path, and his love of a jam have strongly influenced Media Molecule in many brilliant ways.”
The news of Healey’s departure comes after the recent announcement that Dreams would no longer be supported later this year. While the sad news of both co-founder Healey leaving Media Molecule, and Dreams support coming to a close, the studio has more to come. As Reddy included in the statement regarding Healey’s departure, “We have a new project in the works, which is exciting but too early for us to talk about. We look forward to updating you in the future.”