Michael Brookes leaving Elite Dangerous

[Xebeth]

Posted on the FD Forum

A big thanks to you all!



Hi everyone,

I’ve worked at Frontier now for over 14 years, and in that time I’ve had the pleasure on working on a diverse range of projects. In fact of all the games we’ve released in that time there’s only three I’ve not worked on in some capacity! The most significant of which was Elite Dangerous. Since becoming involved in the Kickstarter, and the subsequent development it’s been a major factor not only in my professional life, but in my social one as well. As with any multi-project company people occasionally move between games, and it’s with great pleasure (and some sadness) that I can let you know that I’m moving onto the secret project we announced a few months ago. It’s a fantastic opportunity, and another game I’m proud to be involved with. While I will miss not being so closely involved in Elite, I’ll still be playing the game regularly and participating in the community where I can – I’m currently making my way to Colonia in my Imperial Courier

I should emphasise that this doesn’t affect Elite’s future. Development will continue with its large and active development team. The production team remains exactly the same with a new addition to the production team and they’re all a more than capable crew, and of course David remains a key decision maker for the game. I’m looking forward to 2.4’s release – there’s some very cool stuff in there! And that is nothing compared to what lies further in the future.

I’d also like to thank the community for your involvement. Since the game was first announced it’s been a pleasure to join you in a shared enthusiasm. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many of you in person, and it’s always a great feeling to appreciate the passion that you have for the game. I think the first Lavecon will always stand out as a key moment, but there have been many others since the game’s release, and it’s always great to see some of the things like epic rescues and community events that take place in our galaxy. I will be attending Lavecon again this year as a fan of Elite and to meet with old friends and the fantastic community. Naturally I’ll keep an eye on the forums and pop in from time to time!

So thanks to you all, and I may see you in the black...

Michael

[CMDR Abil Midena]

Wow, wtf.

My first reaction is to think he's "stepping out of the way" of some other devs, and maybe DB, that want to take the game in a direction he's not into.

Or, that development of ED is done. That is, he's way up the pipeline, and his involvement is no longer needed. Now we just wait for the gears to turn and for his ideas to get into the game (code, graphics, etc). We won't see it until after the "improvements to existing game play", i.e. 2019.

And I'll have to see what this "secret project" is.

[IronDuke]

Sometimes change is a good thing..

Wishing him every success in his new endeavour.

[Saberius]

Sounds like a great new adventure.