Jonathan-Jacques Belletête brought a very distinct visual style to Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Mankind Divided as the art director at developer Eidos Montreal. He won't be around for the final game in the trilogy (which I continue to resolutely believe it will be) however, because he is now working as creative director on a brand new project at Mordheim: City of the Damned studio Rogue Factor.
"This year marks my 20th anniversary in the video game industry, and my passion and enthusiasm for creating compelling interactive entertainment experiences has only grown," Belletête said in a statement. "The new position at Rogue Factor is one that I am thrilled to take on, and the wealth of talent that’s so evident amongst the studio team has me excited at the creative possibilities ahead at Rogue Factor."
Belletête gave no hint as to what he's getting up to at his new gig, although he said that he won't be involved in Rogue Factor's current project, Necromunda: Underhive Wars. It struck me at first glance like a bit of an odd fit, going from the glitter of Deus Ex to the grime of Warhammer, but Warhammer 40K's already powerful visual vibe could go to some unexpectedly interesting places under his direction. Or it might go someplace else entirely: Rogue Factor's only two games so far are Games Workshop licenses, but it might be gearing up to branch out into something original.
Rogue Factor general manager Yves Bordeleau hinted at that in the announcement, saying that "it is genuinely exciting to have him onboard as we enter a new phase in the studio’s life, one which we are affectionally calling Rogue Factor 2.0."
The announcement also serves as a reminder that Necromunda: Underhive Wars is still in development. There's been no real update on its status since last year, but Rogue Factor said in June that the game is expected to be out sometime this year.
