Tilt Brush co-creator Patrick Hackett announced today that he’s leaving Google after nearly six years with the company. His next project will be a VR collaboration with I-Illusions, the studio behind the VR classic Space Pirate Trainer.
Tilt Brush co-creators Patrick Hackett & Drew Skillman joined Google in early 2015 after the company acquired the duo and their application. Both have remained with the studio since. Google formally launched the VR art application in 2016 to much acclaim among creatives and doodlers alike. The app eventually made it to Oculus PC, Oculus Quest, WMR, and PSVR, and even had a recurring cameo on The Tonight Show.
Hackett announced today that he’s departing Google after nearly six years with the company. Hinting at what’s next, he said “next week I’m starting work with [Dirk Van Welden] and the [I-Illusions] crew on a very, very special VR thing.”
Dirk Van Welden is the head of I-Illusions, the studio behind the VR classic Space Pirate Trainer (2017). Though Hackett will be collaborating with the studio, he maintains “I’ll be independent again, so would love to hear if you’ve got a rad project you want to collaborate on,” indicating that he isn’t directly joining the team.
With Google receding from its VR ambitions in 2018, the company recently announced it would shutter Poly, it’s 3D model hosting site which also served as a repository for storing and sharing content made with Tilt Brush. While Tilt Brush itself will otherwise continue to function in perpetuity, it isn’t clear if the app is being actively developed beyond maintenance needs, though Hackett says “I’ve left Tilt Brush in good hands with a solid plan for the future. Stay tuned.”
Drew Skillman, the other Tilt Brush co-founder, continues to work at Google but has long since moved onto other projects, according to his LinkedIn profile.