Brian Raffel, co-founder of Raven Software, has retired after exactly 36 years at the studio. This departure was announced on April 2, 2026, marking the end of a tenure that began in 1990 when he and his brother Steve founded the company with their first title, Black Crypt.
During those years, Raven Software developed a range of projects including Heretic, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, Hexen II, Soldier of Fortune, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, X-Men Legends, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, and Singularity. The studio was acquired by Activision in 1997 and subsequently focused on supporting Call of Duty titles, such as Black Ops DLC, Warzone, and Black Ops Cold War.
Raven Software's official statement on X describes Raffel's leadership as guiding the studio through industry changes and contributing to games that spanned dark fantasy realms to galactic adventures. It also notes his role in establishing Madison, Wisconsin, as a game development hub and his connections to the University of Wisconsin.
No specific reasons for the retirement were provided beyond it being well-earned. The studio will continue its work on Call of Duty: Warzone and other titles, with this change representing a standard leadership transition in a mature organization.
