CCP Falcon Leaves CCP

Over on Reddit there was a “Where is CCP Falcon?” thread a week or so back.  He seemed to have gone very quiet.  CCP Dopamine had been handling a the web site updates since mid-October and at EVE Vegas he was the community team person speaking while CCP Falcon was nowhere to be seen, an unusual turn of events.

CCP Falcon and I at EVE Vegas 2018

Today on Twitter the new broke when he announced the following from his now no longer “CCP Falcon” account:

After 7 amazing years at CCPGames it’s time for me to dock my Polaris Enigma Frigate and set off in search of a new adventure in the universe. It’s been a privilege and a pleasure to serve such an incredible, dedicated and passionate community.

For the last 17 years – 7 of those as a CCPer – EveOnline has defined my life, shaping me as a person and revealing strengths I didn’t know I had. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to everyone I’ve worked with, talked spaceships with, flown with and against.

No idea what’s next, but I’ll always be capsuleer and I’ll always be around for those who wanna chat – although my twitter handle will be changing soon.  I’ll leave you all with the incredibly talented @onlydopamine and @CCP_Convict

Fly safe.

– Falcon, Out.

Community management positions are often volatile and turn over is common.  Any number of seemingly popular community managers have been shed from various MMOs over the years.  And CCP has gutted its own community team in the past.  When it comes time to cut head count people who do not write code can find themselves to be disposable in the eyes of the company.

There were no reasons given for CCP Falcon’s departure.

CCP Falcon will be missed by some, no doubt.  While not as popular as CCP Guard, his pugnacious style did appeal to some even if it put others off.

CCP Falcon and CCP Guard back in the day

Certainly his vision of what EVE Online ought to be like, from that TiS interview earlier this year, did not endear him to many, and having a hand in mis-managing of the CSM, including the “No Sions” rule, which put the whole thing in crisis and led to him and CCP Leeloo being shifted to other duties, no doubt left stains on his record with the company.

On the flip side, you were rarely in doubt as to where you stood with CCP Falcon.  He wasn’t one to sugar coat an answer or be mealy mouthed in a response.  You might have wished he would have softened a blow now and then, but you always had your a direct response.  And he pissed off Gevlon, showing what a thin skinned troll he really was.  You have to give him that.

And so it goes.  Seven years is an enviable duration for a community management position.  The only real question is how he put up with us for so long.