Media Molecule co-founder and creative director Mark Healey has departed the studio.

Healey helped establish the LittleBigPlanet and Dreams developer back in 2006, serving as a key creative figure as the company became an integral part of the PlayStation family after it was acquired by Sony in 2010.

He served as the creative director on both LittleBigPlanet and LittleBigPlanet 2, before shaping the world of Dreams as the game's director.

The news comes shortly after Media Molecule announced it will be ending support for Dreams to focus on a new project, with the UK studio explaining that continuing to support and update the game creation platform has become unsustainable.

In a thread shared on Twitter, Healey explained he's leaving the studio to "chart a new course" but said he was proud to have played a role in creating both Media Molecule and notable franchises like LittleBigPlanet.

"A strong cosmic breeze is pulling me and my pirate heart is awakened, I'm not getting any younger so am going to indulge myself in the winds of my various curiosities for a while and see where they take me," he wrote.

"So here's to new beginnings, following one’s heart and exploring the unknown–yo ho ho and a bottle of rum–I'm off on a Pirate adventure! (One that involves making games that is)."

Healey has become the second Media Molecule co-founder to depart in 2023, with art director Kareem Ettouney having also left the studio earlier this year.

Ettouney worked on both LittleBigPlanet and Dreams, but last year announced he would be moving on after almost two decades.