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One of the key faces behind the Grand Theft Auto franchise and the boss of Rockstar North has left the company.

Kotaku reports that Leslie Benzies had been on sabbatical from the studio for 17 months, taking a break from the company around a year after the launch of Grand Theft Auto V.

He initially joined the company, then DMA, in 1999, around the time that it was acquired by Rockstar.

Now it has been confirmed he will not be returning. Rockstar North is currently being headed up by studio veterans Aaron Garbut and Rob Nelson.

We can confirm that Leslie Benzies went on sabbatical on September 1st, 2014 and has decided not to return to work for the company,” Rockstar said. We are very grateful for Leslie’s contributions to Rockstar over the last 15 years as we worked together to make some amazing games.

Leslie helped us build an incredible team that will continue to create great experiences for our fans. Leslie will always be a friend to the company and of course we are going to miss him but we wish him the absolute best for the future.”