The announcement
Warren Spector, the creator of Deus Ex and a veteran of the Ultima series, announced his retirement from video game development on August 17 in a lengthy LinkedIn post, with coverage published on August 18. "Let me cut right to the chase. I'm retiring from game development," Spector wrote. "At least I think so. I've been here before and changed my mind but this time I'm pretty sure I mean it. I've had a great career. Wouldn't change a thing even if I could."
Reasons cited
Spector said he is "a month away" from his 44th year as a video game developer and is "feeling like I've done what I set out to do." He identified his age of 70 and unspecified health issues he described as "my business" as factors, and added that "the game business has changed and it's just not as much fun for me anymore." Spector also pointed to a "new generation of developers coming up who deserve their time in the sun."
Career and unfinished ideas
Spector said he has "mixed feelings" about the decision and listed "three games in particular" he would still like to make, describing one as "very big," one as "very small," and one he "don't know how to make which scares me." At the close of his post, he left the door open: "Will I come back? Never say never. But I think it's time to ride off into the sunset."
Body of work and current role
Spector directed and produced the original Deus Ex action role-playing game, released in 2000. He also produced six games in the Ultima series, three Wing Commander games, and served as a creative consultant on Underworld Ascendant. He currently serves as studio director at OtherSide Entertainment, a position he has held since joining the studio in 2016. Spector's career also includes earlier work on System Shock and Epic Mickey, among other titles.
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