Call of Duty lead designer Todd Alderman left Infinity Ward nearly five years ago following lawsuits and studio turmoil, but a Polygon report confirms his return to the company as a multiplayer project director.
The "Infinity Ward Employee Group" that sued Activision back in 2010 included Alderman, and he went on to join Infinity Ward co-founders Jason West and Vince Zampella at Respawn Entertainment following their termination. His most recent work was at Riot Games as a designer.
Alderman commented on his return to Infinity Ward and how it both surprises and excites him.
"The chance to come back to Infinity Ward and Call of Duty is something I didn't think would ever happen," he said. "It's been five years since I've been here and a lot has changed. There are a lot of new faces and motivated people who want to make something great. It's a really cool game concept that I want to be a part of."
Activision's three-studio approach to Call of Duty allows Alderman and the rest of Infinity Ward quite a bit of time to work on its next entry in the franchise. Treyarch is responsible for this year's release, and Infinity Ward's will follow suit next year.