For nearly two decades, Craig Houston helped shape the narrative identity of Call of Duty, working on everything from military campaigns to the increasingly complex universe of Zombies. However, his time at Treyarch has now come to an end after the veteran senior lead writer confirmed that he had been affected by recent layoffs.
His departure brings an important chapter in the studio’s creative history to a close, just as the Activision-owned developer celebrates its 30th anniversary.
How Craig Houston helped give Zombies its own identity
When World at War introduced Zombies in 2008, few players could have imagined how far the cooperative survival experience would go. What began as a relatively simple premise gradually developed into an interconnected universe with recurring characters, hidden messages and elaborate storylines.
Houston played a central role in that transformation as the mode’s main writer. Together with developers such as Jimmy Zielinski, Jason Blundell and Kevin Drew, he contributed to establishing Zombies as one of the defining pillars of Call of Duty.
Interestingly, storytelling within this mode works differently from a traditional campaign. Players uncover fragments of information through dialogue, recordings and environmental details. As a result, discovering the narrative became almost as important to some fans as surviving another round.
Craig Houston and two decades of Call of Duty history
Although many fans associate his name with Zombies, Houston’s contributions extend well beyond fighting the undead. His career at Treyarch began in 2006 as a video editor on Call of Duty 3, before moving into writing and game design.
His credits include World at War and the first four Black Ops installments, where he worked as a writer and designer. Later, his responsibilities expanded across design and creative development on several other entries in the franchise.
Among those projects are Modern Warfare (2019), Black Ops Cold War, Vanguard, Modern Warfare III, Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7. However, his name does not appear in the credits for this year’s Modern Warfare 4.
Few career paths illustrate so clearly how much Call of Duty has evolved across different console generations. Throughout that period, Houston contributed to both standalone military stories and narratives that continued across multiple releases.
A studio anniversary marked by an unexpected farewell
On November 14, Houston confirmed his departure through publications on X and LinkedIn. Alongside a video commemorating three decades of Treyarch, the writer explained that “I was sadly one of those affected by recent layoffs”.
In his original announcement on X, he expressed pride in the people he had worked alongside, acknowledging that many had become lifelong friends. Furthermore, he thanked fans for their enthusiasm and continued support.
Members of the Zombies community have since shared messages of appreciation. Former Treyarch developer Tony Flame has also voiced his support, recognizing the significance of Houston’s contributions.
Another veteran developer affected by industry layoffs
According to Eurogamer, the departure could be connected to the wider Xbox reorganization announced earlier this year, which affects approximately 3,200 jobs. Nevertheless, neither Treyarch nor Activision has publicly commented on Houston’s departure, and that connection remains unconfirmed.
The announcement arrives amid a particularly difficult period for video game professionals. As we recently covered in our article about the November 2026 GDC employment report, 34% of surveyed professionals had experienced at least one layoff within the previous two years.
Moreover, 54% of respondents affected by layoffs remained unemployed at the time of the survey. These figures offer broader industry context, although they do not explain the circumstances behind Treyarch’s decision.
Beyond the employment statistics, the departure of experienced developers highlights the human contribution behind long-running video game franchises.
Ultimately, the legacy of Craig Houston remains present in nearly twenty years of Call of Duty history. From its military campaigns to the mysteries that brought Zombies fans together, his creative contributions deserve recognition in their own right.
Creator of the website, Pokemon trainer by nature. Trying to report on everything related to the world of video games, series and movies. Yu-Gi-Oh is my weakness, collecting cards since the dawn of time.
