What’s next for Insomniac Games

Before we get into offering our perspectives about Ted Price’s long-planned and extremely well-deserved retirement, we want to sincerely thank everyone who has checked in with Insomniac about the state of our employees and Burbank studio during the terrible Los Angeles-area fires. The fires have devastated the communities around us. We continue to focus on supporting each other and communicating daily with Sony Interactive Entertainment to provide the latest information and resources to everyone affected.

Sharing the news that Ted is retiring from Insomniac Games is still just as emotional to type as it has been to think about. The three of us – Chad, Jen and Ryan – have worked closely with Ted for many years. He’s not just our leader, he’s our longtime friend. And a great one at that. Ted will be missed for so many reasons.

One of the great things about Ted is his ability to inspire everyone around him to grow. Ted has also set the ultimate example of how to not just say the right thing, but to do it too. Both with our games and how we behave as leaders and as a studio.

Seeing how Ted operates for decades has prepared us to take on the challenge of stepping into Ted’s enormous, canoe-sized shoes. None of us can nor should try to “be like Ted” though – we must stay true to ourselves and our own leadership styles. However, it’s safe to say we’ll often think to ourselves, “What would Ted do?” as part of our individual and collective decision-making process.

Now you’re probably wondering, “Well, who exactly are y’all and what should we expect from you going forward?” We want to share a bit more about ourselves, along with some insight into how we’re envisioning our role as co-studio heads.

I started my Insomniac career during the PlayStation 2 era in studio marketing and communications, quickly shifting my role to become Insomniac’s first community director and helping establish the role within the PlayStation ecosystem. I joined Insomniac’s senior leadership team several years ago and have held multiple studio roles including Head of Franchise Strategy & Studio Relations. In that role I partnered with teams within and beyond Sony Interactive on how and when we talk about our games, including in-game creative integrations. More recently, I’ve served as Head of Brand & Leadership Strategy, which means I’m ensuring through communications, coaching and culture development that what Insomniac says to the world about itself and our games matches what we believe and how we act inside Insomniac.

Outside of work, I play games with my family almost nightly. We enjoyed completing Astro Bot and Lego Horizon Adventures over the winter break. I also love cycling (road and gravel).
– Ryan Schneider, Co-Studio Head, Insomniac Games

I joined our incredible studio eight years ago as CFO and Head of Finance, and our team has had my heart ever since. As part of our leadership team, I directly support our development teams across all titles, overseeing project planning, production strategy, business operations, resource planning, and co-development partnerships. Together with the best team in the world, we’ve shipped 12 games since my first day, and I’m super excited about the unforgettable experiences we’ll bring to players in the future.

Before joining Insomniac Games, I was a senior finance executive, providing strategic and financial leadership to global tech and entertainment businesses.

I’m passionate about driving innovations that elevate our studio and community. Outside of work, I support Glendale’s neighborhood libraries and love playing games with my kids. Over the holidays, I immersed myself in Astro Bot and Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered-and loved those unforgettable adventures.
– Jen Huang, Co-Studio Head, Insomniac Games

One afternoon, I picked up a copy of Spyro The Dragon for Research™ purposes. I was floored by its charm and attention to detail – here, clearly, was the work of a team at the top of their game, and I wanted to learn their secrets.

I joined Insomniac in 1998. Since then, I’ve had the honor to contribute to five generations of PlayStation as an Environment Artist, Art Director, Studio Director for the Durham studio, and – starting in 2017 – as the Head of Creative. As a senior leader, I support the creative, story, and research teams across all titles to help ensure that our games ship with a uniquely Insomniac vision and a high degree of polish.

So what secrets did I learn? Mainly that magic happens when talented people build on each other’s ideas even as they challenge each other to advance their craft. In my new role, I’m excited to work with Ryan and Jen to continue Insomniac’s tradition of creative collaboration.
– Chad Dezern, Co-Studio Head, Insomniac Games

Our shared intention is to preserve what has made Insomniac special for 30-plus years while exploring how we can strategically evolve to succeed for decades to come.

We’ll continue prioritizing our studio culture, built around transparency and collaboration. We strive for a workplace where employees can do the best work of their careers.

What does all this mean for our players and fans? We’re going to keep making the games you love, while taking care of the people who make them. This aligns with our studio vision of making a positive and lasting impact on people’s lives.

We know this is big news and probably a lot to absorb. Ted is an industry legend, responsible for launching and creative directing three iconic PlayStation franchises in Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet & Clank, and Resistance: Fall of Man. Back-to-back-to-back. He’s helped guide us through every single PlayStation console generation and much more.

Ted has also laid the foundation for Insomniac as one of the industry’s all-time most successful studio leaders. Now, it’s up to us to help Insomniac thrive long into the future. Thanks to Ted’s guidance and leadership, we are ready.