Ted Price Departs Insomniac Games: A New Era with Fresh Leadership Begins

Insomniac Games’ founder and CEO Ted Price is resigning from his position leading the studio owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment after over 30 years at the helm of the company responsible for PlayStation‘s “Ratchet & Clank” series and “Marvel’s Spider-Man” titles.

Replacing Price, who will remain with the PlayStation studio until March, are three experienced Insomniac veterans who will assume the role of co-heads following his departure: Ryan Schneider, Chad Dezern, and Jen Huang. Each of the co-studio heads at Insomniac will have distinct domains for which they have been preparing over the last year.

“Over the past year, I was fortunate to collaborate with the senior leadership group at Insomniac to establish a succession plan that will ensure the continuity, stability, and robust leadership required to provide more of what our fans love for the forthcoming years,” Price stated. “Thus, today, I’m very pleased to declare that Chad Dezern, Ryan Schneider, and Jen Huang will take on the roles of Insomniac Games’ new Co-Studio Heads. I firmly believe that for us to maintain our success, we require leaders at the forefront who are deeply acquainted with our methodologies, leaders who have contributed to the formation of our culture and our systems, and who have earned the trust of our team.”

Established by Price in 1994, Insomniac Games, known for “Spyro the Dragon,” was purchased by Sony Interactive Entertainment for $229 million in 2019.

“For many years, Chad, Jen, and Ryan have been crucial in shaping Insomniac into what it is today,” Price remarked. “I’ve witnessed each of them lead significant initiatives that have positively impacted lives at Insomniac. Additionally, they have consistently showcased the kind of collaboration and transparency that is ingrained in our essence. Equally important, their skill sets complement each other perfectly.”

Price will be recognized by The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) as a Hall of Fame Inductee at the 28th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards, Variety has learned.

Dezern stated that as the new team embraces “great projects with an incredibly ambitious roadmap,” their foremost priority is to ensure continuity. “We aim to keep building on our foundations and truly deliver exceptional games to the world,” Dezern expressed.

Huang commented: “We collaborate every single day. We partner in resolving issues across Insomniac, actively reinforcing that bond. We tackle challenges collectively. We present our best selves every day within the studios. What’s remarkable is that we share a unified belief in our vision and mission as a studio, and we utilize that as a guiding principle in our decision-making and interactions with everyone here.”

Dezern will head the creative and development teams in directing long-term project strategies, setting production targets, encouraging innovative development practices, and coordinating with creative collaborators at PlayStation Studios and Marvel Games.

“My responsibility revolves around supporting our creative and development teams as they create games with a clear vision, engaging narratives, enjoyable gameplay, and a high level of refinement,” Dezern added.

Huang will lead the content and operations teams, aiding development crews to reach production objectives across all projects. He will be responsible for content generation, production strategy, project oversight, external development alliances, and organizational operations.

“There are indeed significant trends emerging in the industry,” Huang stated. “We witness consolidation and, obviously, layoffs. We cannot speak on behalf of the industry overall or other gaming companies, but here at our studio, we remain committed to creating games intelligently and ethically. We assess our entire studio collectively to construct the ideal development teams that will enable us to fulfill our development ambitions and satisfy our fans’ expectations, delivering remarkable games. Therefore, we are always at the forefront of considering what is best for the studio, the games, and our employees and fans.”

Schneider will oversee internal and external communications, managing collaborations with various PlayStation Studios, SIE, and Marvel teams, while also supporting shared resource teams such as community and core technology. He is also the sponsor of Insomniac’s Culture Council, dedicated to nurturing an inclusive and collaborative working atmosphere.

“We’re quite aware of fan expectations, and we strive to meet and exceed them with each game we develop, seeking to maintain that momentum together,” Schneider noted. “We understand what makes Insomniac unique, and we recognize what is necessary to continue our evolution and thrive in the future.”

Focused on the future, the newly appointed Insomniac leaders are keen on maintaining the trajectory of existing projects, yet they are not prepared to finalize release schedules for upcoming titles, including “Marvel’s Wolverine.” While Dezern did not confirm or deny a 2025 launch for the game, he remarked: “We’ve revealed ‘Wolverine,’ and we’re eager to discuss more about ‘Wolverine,’ but we must embody Logan today and remain quite stoic until it’s time to unleash the claws down the line. As much as we share in our excitement, we must hold onto it. So that’s about as much as we can share regarding our forthcoming projects at this point.”

The Insomniac team is also looking for chances for more game-to-screen adaptations following the success PlayStation has experienced with HBO’s “The Last of Us.”

“I reflect on the ‘Ratchet & Clank’ film from a few years back, which we initiated quite early. Naturally, we’re interested in such opportunities. Our love for ‘Ratchet & Clank’ stands out in particular,” Schneider expressed.

Dezern joined Insomniac Games in 1998. His contributions span five console generations, from “Spyro: Ripto’s Rage” on PlayStation 1 to “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2” on PlayStation 5. He played a role in developing the visual style of the “Ratchet & Clank” series as an environment artist, guided the art department through its shift to the PlayStation 3 as an Art Director, and co-established Insomniac’s Durham, NC studio as Studio Director. In 2017, he became part of the studio’s senior leadership team as chief creative officer and remained in that position through Sony Interactive Entertainment’s acquisition of Insomniac in 2019. In his latest position as head of creative, he supported Insomniac’s gifted creative, narrative, and research teams across all endeavors.

Huang became part of Insomniac Games in 2016 and has contributed to twelve renowned and successful titles, including “Marvel’s Spider-Man,” “Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales,” “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2,” and “Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.” Huang served as CFO during Insomniac’s acquisition by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2019 and subsequently held the position of head of finance.

Schneider has dedicated over two decades to Insomniac Games, working on a variety of games from “Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal” to “Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.” A long-standing member of the studio’s senior leadership group, Schneider served as chief brand officer during Insomniac’s acquisition by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2019. He subsequently held a range of senior roles, including head of brand and leadership strategy.