Quick answer: Craig Houston, Treyarch’s longtime lead writer and the main writer behind Call of Duty Zombies since 2008, says he was laid off after about 20 years at the studio. He shared the news on X on November 13, 2026. Treyarch and Activision have not made a public statement about it.
One of the best known names in Call of Duty Zombies is leaving Treyarch. Craig Houston, whose X profile now reads “Former Senior Lead Writer @Treyarch,” posted on Friday evening, November 13 (8:23 PM CT), that he had lost his job in a round of layoffs.
“After approximately 20 years, I was sadly one of those affected by recent layoffs,” Houston wrote. “I am proud to have worked with so many talented people – many of whom will remain friends for life. Thanks to all the fans for your enthusiasm, support, and kind words over the years.”
He quoted Treyarch’s own “30 years of Treyarch” anniversary video, which the studio had posted earlier that same day. The post passed 440,000 views and 8,000 likes by Sunday morning, and Eurogamer picked up the story on November 15. Eurogamer says Houston shared the same message on LinkedIn.
Who Craig Houston is
If you have played Treyarch’s Zombies mode, you have heard his writing. According to Eurogamer’s look at his credits:
- His first Call of Duty at Treyarch was Call of Duty 3 (2006), where he worked as a video editor.
- He is credited as a writer and designer on World at War and Black Ops 1 through 4.
- He has been the main writer for Zombies since the mode debuted in World at War in 2008.
- On later games, including Black Ops Cold War, Vanguard, Black Ops 6 and Black Ops 7, he is listed on the design team and in creative development.
- He is not credited on this year’s Modern Warfare 4.
Activision’s own Call of Duty blog introduced him as Treyarch’s Lead Writer in a 2021 interview about Vanguard Zombies and the Dark Aether story.
What we do not know
Houston did not say how many people were cut or when, and Treyarch and Activision have not commented publicly as far as we can find. Eurogamer says the cuts appear to be part of the 3,200-job restructuring Xbox announced earlier this year, but that link has not been confirmed. We will update this story if the studio says more.
Our take
Zombies has always lived on its story as much as its round-based gameplay. Fans have spent close to two decades decoding radio messages, Easter eggs and the Aether timeline that Houston helped build. Losing the writer who carried that thread from World at War to the Dark Aether era is a real blow for the mode, and it raises fair questions about who steers the Zombies story next. For now, the outpouring from fans and former teammates under his post says a lot about how much his work meant to players.
For more Call of Duty coverage, see our MW4 Season 1 guide.
Sources: Craig Houston on X (November 13, 2026); Eurogamer (November 15, 2026); Call of Duty blog (October 2021).
