Julien Merceron, the man responsible for overseeing Konami's Fox Engine, has reportedly parted ways with the studio.

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The news was first announced by Gameblog , though independent sources have since confirmed it to IGN.For those unaware of who Merceron is, he joined Konami back in 2013 as the company's worldwide technology director, and it was during his tenure that the company's bespoke game engine was put into use on both Metal Gear Solid V and the most recent Pro Evolution Soccer titles.Before that, he spent seven years working in and around Square Enix, including as CTO at IO Interactive, Eidos and Crystal Dynamics before ascending to the rank of global technology director at Square Enix itself.Though no official news regarding why Merceron left has been announced, rumours are swirling it's due to the Japanese giant's decision to shift away from the console market and instead embrace a mobile-first future Konami has had a tumultuous year after it became clear that Kojima would be leaving the company, followed by the cancellation of Silent Hills. Today's news is unlikely to make the outlook any more optimistic.

Luke Karmali is IGN's UK News Editor. You too can revel in mediocrity by following him on Twitter