Treyarch Studio Head Mark Gordon Steps Down After 22 Years

Mark Gordon is leaving Treyarch after more than 2 decades with the Call of Duty studio, adding another major leadership change during a turbulent week across Xbox.

Treyarch has announced that Studio Head Mark Gordon is retiring from his role after 22 years with the company. As reported by Gematsu, Gordon joined Treyarch in May 2005 as chief technology officer and became studio head in November 2016.

"After an extraordinary 22 years with Treyarch, our own Mark Gordon has decided to retire from his role as Studio Head to focus on his next chapter."
— Treyarch

Gordon’s impact on Call of Duty is significant. Treyarch credited him for his work across Call of Duty 2: Big Red One, Call of Duty 3, World at War, and the full Black Ops series, making his departure one of the most notable leadership changes inside Activision’s Call of Duty pipeline.

Treyarch confirmed that Kevin Hendrickson and Yale Miller will now step into the role of co studio heads. Both are described by the studio as longtime franchise veterans with deep development and leadership experience.

"As we look ahead, we’re pleased to announce that Treyarch’s Kevin Hendrickson and Yale Miller will step into the roles of co studio heads."
— Treyarch

Thank you, Mark. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/ZhgY5mXeWc

— Treyarch (@Treyarch) June 15, 2026

Gordon’s retirement arrives during a tense period for Microsoft Gaming. Xbox is currently facing reports of major layoffs, studio closures, and leadership changes across its first party organization. Compulsion Games, Double Fine, Ninja Theory, and several other Xbox studios are reportedly negotiating with Microsoft as some teams try to avoid closure or spin off independently. Separately, The Verge reported that Xbox Game Studios head Craig Duncan and chief of staff Louise O’Connor are also leaving their roles. That wider context makes every new leadership move across Xbox feel more significant, even when the company frames Gordon’s exit as a retirement.

There is no official indication from Treyarch that Gordon’s departure is connected to layoffs or restructuring. Treyarch remains one of Microsoft’s most important studios because of Call of Duty’s scale, annual relevance, and Game Pass value.

Mark Gordon leaving Treyarch is a major moment for Call of Duty, but it should be separated from speculation until Microsoft says otherwise.

Treyarch is not a small experimental studio inside Xbox. It is one of the core Call of Duty engines, and that gives it a very different position from teams currently reported to be under closure pressure. Still, timing matters. Xbox is already dealing with reports of layoffs, possible studio spin offs, executive departures, and a wider reset under Asha Sharma. Even a planned retirement now lands inside a much bigger story about Microsoft Gaming changing shape.

Kevin Hendrickson and Yale Miller inherit a studio with enormous responsibility. Call of Duty remains one of Xbox’s most valuable assets, and Treyarch’s leadership stability will matter as Microsoft leans harder on major franchises to repair its gaming business.

The question now is not whether Treyarch survives. It is how Xbox protects the teams that make its biggest franchises while the rest of the studio portfolio faces a much harsher future.

Do you think Xbox’s focus on major franchises like Call of Duty will protect studios like Treyarch, or could even core teams face cuts during the reset?