After eight years, illustrator Hyung-Tae Kim is leaving NCsoft. Earlier today, Kim confirmed the departure on his blog.
Known for his work on the Magna Carta series (and more recently, Blade & Soul), Kim is perhaps the most well-known Korean game illustrator in the West.
Korean fans might have felt something was up when Kim's name didn't appear as Art Director in the latest Blade & Soul trailer, which was released yesterday. Instead, Jeung Young Chea is credited.
On Kim's blog (via tipster Sang), he writes, "I don't know which path I'll take in the future but I want to find a way to go back to my roots and reach you guys through my illustrations again. Please give me your attention and support regardless of what I decide in the future."
Kim included the illustration below:
If you are not familiar with Kim's work, have a look at the images below (courtesy of his unofficial fan site):
We wish Kim luck in whatever he does next.
Team Bloodlust와 모든 블소 유저분들께 깊이 감사드립니다! [Kim HyungTae's Blog]
To contact the author of this post, write to bashcraftATkotaku.com or find him on Twitter @Brian_Ashcraft.
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.