DICE Art Director Leaves EA For Retro Studios
This article was originally written for TheNintendoVillage.com, a website I founded and ran from 2018 to 2021.
Retro Studios’ hiring spree is still rolling ahead as they continue development of Metroid Prime 4. Following on from the acquisition of Halo character artist Kyle Hefly and the return of Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze Lead Stephen Dupree in the role of Principal Game Designer, Jhony Ljungstedt is joining the studio.
Ljungstedt has previously been the Art Director for Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst, Battlefield V and Medal of Honor amongst others, a role which Retro has reportedly been hiring for since last year. Whilst we don’t know for certain that he’s been brought in for that position, it’s probably a safe bet.
As Nintendo Life reports, Ljungstedt announced the move on his LinkedIn profile, stating:
“Today was my last day at DICE and it’s with mixed feelings I’m leaving something that’s been part of my life for such a long time. It’s been great journey and I feel privileged to have got the chance to work with all the talented people at DICE, you will all be missed... Now I’m ready for a new chapter in my life, and looking forward to my new journey at Retro Studios.”
It’s great to see so much stellar talent being added to the Metroid Prime 4 project, though with key roles only just being filled - and more still being advertised - it does seem the game is still a long way off.
Do you think this is a solid acquisition for Retro? Let us know down in the comments.
Source: VGC, via Nintendo Life