Naughty Dog’s Co-President, who was also the executive producer of the recent Last of Us TV show on HBO, officially announced that he is leaving the studio after working there for 25 years. Evan Wells joined Naughty Dog way back in 1998 and has worked on pretty much every major game the studio has made. But has decided that now is the right time to retire, leaving the leadership to Niel Druckmann.
Evan Wells started off as the lead designer at the studio, while it was hard at work on Crash Bandicoot 3. He then got promoted to Co-President, a role he still holds, in 2004. Since then he has played a part in everything the studio has put out, this includes the biggest names like The Last of Us, Uncharted, and even Jak & Daxter.
Of course, leaving a workplace that one has been a part of for so long can not be easy, and it shows in the letter. But at the same time, Wells is looking forward to what the future holds for Naughty Dog and what else it will work on. While he has confirmed that he is retiring, he has not given any specific date about when he will stop working at the studio. Nor has he said anything about what he plans on doing in the future.
The Future Of Naughty Dog After Evan Wells’ Departure
This sudden departure may come as a surprise to most, but according to Wells, he’s been thinking about this for a while, and even talking about it internally. His leaving the studio shouldn’t have any sudden impact on anything, of course, but in the long term, Niel Druckmann will become the President and will handle things from there. Druckmann is no slouch and loves the studio’s games as much as the fans.
Naughty Dog is reportedly working on a lot of different projects. But nothing has come out of the studio for a while, and even the most likely game to come out, The Last of Us Factions, has been going through a lot of friction, and has likely been canceled according to some sources.
