Leslie Benzies, one of the driving forces behind the Grand Theft Auto series, has left his position at Rockstar after nearly fifteen years at the company (he signed up in 1998, back when they were still called DMA Design).
Benzies was formerly the president of Rockstar North, and acted as a producer on every game in the Grand Theft Auto series since the iconic franchise moved into 3D (he also had a hand in Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3, and L.A. Noire).
Confirmation of his departure came by way of a statement sent to Kotaku, which outlined how Benzies had been on sabbatical since last September, and has since decided not to return.
"We can confirm that Leslie Benzies went on sabbatical on September 1, 2014 and has decided not to return to work for the company. We are very grateful for Leslie's contributions to Rockstar over the last 15 years as we worked together to make some amazing games," reads the statement.
"Leslie helped us build an incredible team that will continue to create great experiences for our fans. Leslie will always be a friend to the company and of course we are going to miss him but we wish him the absolute best for the future."
According to the report over on Kotaku, Aaron Garbut and Rob Nelson are now in charge at Rockstar North.