It's no secret that No Man's Sky has been in a serious crisis. From facing legal issues to social media site hacking, it seems things are just going bad for Hello Games each day. And now, the studio's designer opted to leave the door (which eventually opened to a new one). Could this simply mean that there's really a bigger issue at hand?

According to iDigital Times, No Man's Sky designer and longtime Hello Games employee Gareth Bourn has left the studio. And just what the saying says, "If a door closes, another one shall open." Indeed, he must've found sanctum in Foundry42, the campaign developer of Squadron 42 which takes place within the Star Citizen universe. Bourn's official LinkedIn page says it so.

In one way or another, this has something to do with all the stuff that No Man's Sky is facing. It's also a sign that, indeed, there's an inner turmoil going on within Hello Games. It's worth noting that there have been rumors about the video game company being abandoned while coders significant to the studio are leaving.

It's true though that it's very common for developers and/or designers to switch projects -- something that can be likened to the aforementioned No Man's Sky employee. However, Bourn has been with the studio for almost 6 years (since Joe Danger, yes). And what's even surprising is the fact that his exit happened during the title's ongoing crisis. Obviously, this isn't merely a coincidence or whatnot.

If some No Man's Sky fans aren't happy with the news, there are other indie developers who applauded Bourn's exodus. One best example is Derek Smart, who is the lead designer for Line of Defense. Smart, being the witty person that he is, jokingly said that Bourn quietly left a "sinking canoe to a sinking luxury cruise liner." And why? "Because reasons."

In other news @GjBourn of Hello Games (No Mans Sky) quit quietly from one sinking canoe to a sinking luxury cruise liner. Because reasons. — Derek Smart (@dsmart) November 10, 2016

The catch, however, is that Star Citizen isn't that far from No Man's Sky. The former has also been dealing with its own problems, as until now, it's yet to receive a release date. The developer of the game started a Kickstarter campaign way back 2012. And with the years that have passed, fans aren't surely impressed. This might be the reason why Smart pointed the line, "sinking luxury cruise liner."

What are your thoughts on Gareth Bourn leaving No Man's Sky developer Hello Games? Is his exit come as a surprise to you? Let us know what you think at the comment section below!