‘I was a functioning alcoholic’: Cliff Bleszinski opens up about addiction, recovery, and his hope to return to games - Video Games Chronicle

What the report says

Video Games Chronicle reports that veteran game designer Cliff Bleszinski has spoken publicly about alcohol addiction, treatment and a possible return to game development, drawing on a long interview he gave to 80 Level. Bleszinski, known for his work on the Unreal series and as designer of the first three Gears of War games, said his drinking began in the early 2000s and continued through much of his career.

According to VGC’s account of the interview, Bleszinski described himself as having gone from a “functioning” alcoholic to someone whose drinking became unmanageable. He said he often worked while hungover during the Gears of War period and later used alcohol to sleep. He also reflected that, while he takes responsibility for his addiction, industry events such as GDC and E3 often normalized heavy drinking through parties, dinners and hotel-bar networking.

VGC reported that Bleszinski said his alcohol use worsened after LawBreakers, the shooter he directed at Boss Key Productions, failed commercially despite a positive critical reception, leading to the studio’s closure. He said the situation escalated earlier this year when he suffered a drinking-related seizure, woke up in hospital and spent a week undergoing tests. Since then, he has stopped drinking, attended outpatient treatment, begun therapy and focused on his health; VGC says he is four months sober.

Bleszinski also told 80 Level that he still wants to create games, characters and worlds, though he did not announce a project. He indicated he is unlikely to return to player-versus-player design in the style of LawBreakers and is more interested in cooperative PvE experiences.