adminBrian Raffel, co-founder of Raven Software, has retired after 36 years in the video game industry. His departure closes a long chapter for the Wisconsin studio, which he founded with his brother Steve and helped lead through changes in ownership, leadership and the games it developed.
Brian Raffel retires after a long career at Raven Software
Brian and Steve Raffel established Raven Software in 1990. Brian served as vice president from the studio’s founding and became its head in 1997. In 2024, he took on the role of co-studio head alongside Dave Pellas. After Raven was acquired by Activision in 1997, Raffel was also appointed a vice president at the publisher.
In a LinkedIn post announcing his retirement, Raffel reflected on the studio’s early years and the people who worked there. He also credited his brother Steve and described choosing Activision as an important decision in their shared journey. His message expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to Raven’s work over the years.
Games and a studio built in Madison
Raven Software’s statement recognized Raffel’s leadership through a changing game industry and highlighted titles released during his time at the studio. Its list included Hexen, Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, X-Men Legends and Wolfenstein, along with other games. The studio also noted Raven’s later role in developing and evolving the Call of Duty series.
The statement emphasized Raffel’s commitment to making games in Madison, Wisconsin, and the city’s growth as a place for game developers and studios. It also pointed to his connection with the University of Wisconsin and the opportunities Raven offered students interested in art, design and technology.
For readers following the studio’s history, the key milestones are its 1990 founding, the 1997 Activision acquisition and Raffel’s move to co-studio head in 2024. Together, those dates help place his retirement within Raven’s wider development over several decades.
Raven Software workers’ first union contract
Raffel’s retirement comes amid other changes in the studio’s recent history. Last August, Raven Software workers ratified their first union contract with Microsoft after three years of negotiations. QA tester and bargaining committee member Autumn Prazuch said the agreement included raises, job structures intended to make quality assurance a more sustainable career path, and limits on mandatory crunch.
The contract is a separate development from Raffel’s retirement, but it provides additional context about the people and workplace behind Raven’s games. When reading updates about game studios, it is useful to distinguish leadership changes from labor agreements: each affects a different part of how a studio operates.
What Brian Raffel’s retirement means for Raven Software
Raven’s tribute described Raffel’s influence as lasting and thanked him for the direction he helped establish. While the studio moves into its next chapter, his career remains closely associated with its founding, its Madison roots and a catalog spanning several well-known franchises. Brian Raffel retires after 36 years in games, leaving behind a long-standing connection to Raven Software and its development history.
