Warren Spector Announces Retirement from Game Development

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Deus Ex and Thief creator Warren Spector is stepping away from game development at 70, but admits he may still return in the future.

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Warren Spector has announced his retirement from game development at the age of 70. The creator of Deus Ex and Thief shared the decision in a LinkedIn post, saying he feels he has accomplished what he set out to do over a career spanning nearly 44 years.

Spector said there are still three games he would like to make: one very large, one very small and another he does not know how to produce. Even so, he said the game industry has changed and is no longer fun for him. The developer also left the door open to a possible return in the future.

“I have retired from game development. At least I think I have,” Spector wrote, acknowledging that he has changed his mind before. He said he had enjoyed a great career and would not change a thing, highlighting his work on digital games, tabletop RPGs and board games.

Over that period, Spector estimates that he worked on 17 complete games and around nine additional packages. Some of those projects are still being played 15 to 30 years after their release. He also led teams ranging in size from approximately 12 to 800 people and worked at both major companies and startups.

Known as one of the central figures in the immersive simulation genre, Spector oversaw work on Deus Ex and Thief at Ion Storm. He also founded Junction Point Studios, which developed the Disney’s Epic Mickey games.

Spector is now stepping down as creative director at OtherSide Entertainment, the studio behind Underworld Ascendant, a spiritual successor to Looking Glass’s Ultima Underworld series. His most recent game, Thick as Thieves, failed to find an audience, and OtherSide has gone through a round of layoffs.

After retiring, Spector plans to write one or two books, read more, give talks and work as a consultant. He also mentioned wanting to take up the piano again, while not completely ruling out a return to game development in the future.

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