Report: Neil Young departs EA

It was only a few months back when former EA Los Angeles studio head Neil Young had been given the reins to EA Blueprint, a high-risk, low-cost initiative that would focus on creating new intellectual property for the publisher. However, Young's stint as head of this operation has proven to be short lived.

Newsweek reports today that Young will be ending his tenure with Electronic Arts, having joined the publisher 11 years ago. "Neil Young has decided to leave EA to manage his own company," said EA Games president Frank Gibeau in an internal memo. "Neil is an 11-year EA veteran who has created a lot of great games and many good friendships at EA. We wish him the very best on his new project. Neil will always be welcome at EA."

During his time with the publisher, Young oversaw the experimental alternate reality game Majestic, as well as more mainstream fare such as Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Medal of Honor: Airborne, and Boom Blox, reports Newsweek. Westwood Studios founder Louis Castle will take over Young's responsibilities heading up Blueprint, and oversee such projects as Steven Spielberg's second EA collaboration, code-named LMNO.

It also appears as if the upcoming Tiberium isn't the only first-person shooter in boot camp at EALA. According to Newsweek's leaked memo, EALA studio head Mike Verdu is overseeing a new installment in the developer's long-running Medal of Honor franchise. No other details on the title were revealed, and EA had not responded to requests for clarification as of press time.