Raven Software’s co-founder is stepping away after 36 years
Brian Raffel announced his retirement on Raven Software's official X account after helping found the studio in 1990.
Raven Software co-founder Brian Raffel has announced his retirement after 36 years with the studio. The news came through Raven Software’s official X account on April 2, 2026, marking the end of a run that began when he and his brother founded the company in 1990.
After more than 36 years at the helm of Raven Software, Brian Raffel has decided to step into a well-earned retirement.
In 1990, inspired by a shared love of storytelling, Brian and his brother Steve set out to build something of their own. What began as a small creative pursuit… pic.twitter.com/jLOhRwVosG
— Raven Software (@RavenSoftware) April 2, 2026
Raven’s history stretches back to Black Crypt in 1992, its first release, and the studio went on to ship 42 titles, create 12 original IPs, and work on 18 Call of Duty games. Raffel was tied to early projects such as Hexen, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, X-Men Legends, and Wolfenstein, which helped define the studio long before its Call of Duty era.
Raven Software has also been part of Call of Duty for more than a decade. The studio began contributing with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 in 2011 on PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii, later helped develop Warzone, and most recently assisted with Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which released in 2025.
Raven’s retirement post lands as the studio continues to stay busy across the franchise, including work tied to new ways to play in Call of Duty: Black Ops Royale and Treyarch’s GRWM playlist addition. The long-running team remains a familiar name for players who have followed Call of Duty over the years.
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