Russell Shanks has stepped down as the president of H1Z1 and PlanetSide 2 developer Daybreak after roughly 16 months at the helm. 

Formerly the studio's chief operating officer, Shanks took the job last July after then CEO John Smedley left the company. 

Daybreak broke the news of Shanks' departure in a statement given to Massively Overpowered, before naming his replacement as Columbus Nova exec, Ji Ham. 

A quick glance at Shanks' Linkedin account, which shows he actually left the studio in October, confirms the change in personnel. 

It's not clear why he felt the need to walk away from the studio, with Daybreak simply suggesting he wishes to "pursue other interests."