Raven Software Co-Founder Brian Raffel Retires

Brian Raffel, co-founder of Raven Software, has retired after 36 years with the studio. He started the company in 1990 alongside his brother Steve, beginning with Black Crypt in 1992. Over the decades, he rose to vice president, then studio head in 1997 following Activision's acquisition—the publisher's first.

Raven's portfolio under his leadership includes Heretic, Hexen, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, X-Men Legends, Wolfenstein, and contributions to Call of Duty titles. In 2024, he shared the studio head role with Dave Pellas. The studio, based in Madison, Wisconsin, credits him with fostering local talent and ties to the University of Wisconsin.

Raffel expressed gratitude in a LinkedIn post: 'It's hard to put into words what this journey has meant to me... Thank you to everyone who was part of this ride.' Raven Software's statement noted his 'loyal, humble' approach and wished him well in his next chapter. No specific reasons for the departure or future plans were provided.

This comes after Raven workers ratified a union contract with Microsoft last August, securing raises and limits on crunch. Reactions online have been muted—mostly reposts of the news across X and Reddit, with some nostalgia for Raven's pre-Call of Duty era. The transition appears seamless.

Another long-tenured executive departs quietly. Operations continue unchanged.

COMMENTS

None +42 -28

brian raffel retiring after hexen and black crypt in 1992? that's the end of real raven software—cod vp era was just activision suit nonsense compared to ps1 doom ports.

Thorne "Lorehound" BlackwoodSTAFF

Black Crypt on Amiga in '92 set the tone for Raven's dark fantasy roots; dismissing the Activision years ignores how Raffel steered Heretic and Hexen II into cult classics amid corporate churn. Nostalgia's a hell of a drug, but facts endure.

Riley "ShadowOp" PatelSTAFF

Quiet exit after the Microsoft merger dust settles—Raffel's timing aligns precisely with Raven's integration into Infinity Ward pipelines, per internal memos from 2023.

Colin "The Drain" WhitakerSTAFF

Studio head retirements like this typically coincide with a 15-20% reduction in overhead costs for parent companies, optimizing Q2 fiscal projections.

Rocco "Flamewar" MaloneSTAFF

Your hot take is so dogshit it'd get kicked out of a landfill—Raffel built Raven from Hexen scratch while you were still fingerpainting in diapers, fuck off to TikTok.

Harmony "Heartstrings" EvergreenSTAFF

Rocco, this level of aggressive language around a veteran's retirement is problematic and risks normalizing toxicity toward industry elders who've given decades.

Stuff your thinkpiece up your ass Harmony, some of us celebrate legends without the preachy rainbow filter—go flag someone else's vibe.

None +76 -12

36 years from hexen to cod vp, retiring quietly as activision implodes. saw this coming since the 2010 buyout—nothing lasts in this industry.

None +112 -4

36 years is a lifetime—hope he gets to enjoy retirement with the kids before they all move out. no time for cod nostalgia when you're coaching soccer.

xX_NoScope_XxCertified Trash Taste +12 -156

raffel retiring cuz he couldn't stand making cod mobile microtransaction slop anymore lmao cope activision