In a startling bit of news that pretty much just happened, Robert Bowling, the longtime creative strategist for the Call of Duty brand at Activision and developer Infinity Ward, has announced he is resigning from his current position.

I don't know if I should apologize to Robert for using this photo of him, but I'm just going to go ahead and preemptively do so.

No reason was given for the announcement, but the terms were absolutely clear. He stated as follows:

Today, I resign from my position as Creative Strategist of Call of Duty, as a lead of Infinity Ward, and as an employee of Activision.

Bowling had been with Activision since 2006, working early on in the franchise's existence as a community manager, and eventually rising up to become the most recognizable face associated with the brand. For all intents and purposes, he has been Call of Duty's primary mouthpiece since the Modern Warfare era began, especially in the time following the exit of Infinity Ward founders Vince Zampella and Jason West, who went on to found Respawn Entertainment.

We've reached out to Activision for an official statement regarding Bowling's exit. We'll update this story should they respond.