Dan Bunting

With over twenty years of experience building teams and heading game development projects, Dan Bunting is a seasoned creative leader. Starting at the video game company Treyarch Studios in 2003, Bunting established a reputation as a problem-solver, team motivator and creative innovator that defined his career path through the years. His work on the Call of Duty: Black Ops series led to it becoming one of the most successful franchises in video game history, breaking records during a time of transition for the industry. Bunting started as an Associate Producer for Treyarch, following on the heels of its acquisition by gaming giant Activision Blizzard in 2001. During the development of Call of Duty: United Offensive - the first follow-up title to the original Call of Duty in 2003 - Treyarch and Gray Matter Studios joined forces to produce Call of Duty 2: Big Red One. Bunting went on to serve as a Producer for the next two Treyarch-produced games in the series, Call of Duty 3 and Call of Duty: World at War. Treyarch’s next title in the franchise was Call of Duty: Black Ops, the sequel to Call of Duty: World at War. Bunting took on the role of Senior Producer for the game, which upon its release broke the record for the largest launch in history in any form of entertainment. Breaking the record within 24 hours of its release by selling 5.6 million units, Black Ops grossed over $650 million in its first week alone and subsequently held the title of best-selling game ever for three years. After the monumental success of Call of Duty: Black Ops, the game was turned into a sub-franchise of its own, and Bunting worked as Online Director for its sequel Call of Duty: Black Ops II. It was the first Call of Duty game to include League Play, a competitive mode that allowed recreational players of similar skill level to be matched and compete in the style of professional gaming for seasonal rankings. He then served as Game Director for Call of Duty: Black Ops III, the top-selling retail game in the United States in the year of its release and one of the most successful titles released for the seventh generation of video game consoles. At the end of 2024, Black Ops III was in the news again for breaking into the top 15 games sold of all time. As internet speeds and availability increased over the years, Bunting helped Treyarch pivot to the “games-as-a-service” format toward which the industry had been moving for the previous decade. During his time as Game Director for Call of Duty: Black Ops III, Activision also announced a new three-year development cycle for titles in the Call of Duty franchise, and Bunting was instrumental in shepherding his teams through the transition to a year-round service-oriented development model. Bunting’s strong leadership abilities and creative problem-solving have been cornerstones of his career, and in 2017, he became Co-Studio Head of Treyarch. Operating in one of the most demanding of industries, Treyarch Studios enjoyed strong employee retention levels; around 50 percent of the full-time staffers at the studio during Bunting’s time in leadership had been there for 10 years or more. As Co-Studio Head, Bunting continued his focus on creating an environment in which teams could thrive and create awesome game experiences for the world to enjoy.