Earlier this week, MOP’s staff just happened to be discussing some of the unusual cadence and developer video stuff going on over at Albion Online studio Sandbox Interactive – and it turns out we were prescient indeed.
Albion Online game director and comfy chair-enjoyer Robin Henkys announced this afternoon that he’s stepping down as game director as part of a transition that has “been in the works for quite a while” with an eye toward “continuity.” His replacement will be two senior design team members – game director Mortiz Bokelmann, who’s worked on Albion Online for six years, and a co-creative director, 10-year Albion vet Michael Schwahn.
“I’m not looking to replace what Robin brought but to continue building on it,” Bokelmann says.
So why is Henkys leaving? In short, he says his single-minded pursuit of the game’s success was driving him to burnout; moreover, he wants to step up and focus on his growing family – as well as step back so his wife can pursue her career too. However, while he’s moving on from the director’s chair, he’s apparently staying with the company and will continue “working in the background on long-term plans for the game” as his own pace. In other words, he may be popping up in future videos about the game, so it’s more like a “see you later from the comfy chair” than a “farewell forever.”
