Neil Druckmann to Step Up as President of Naughty Dog, Evan Wells Announces Retirement

Evan Wells announced his retirement in a message sent to the team at Naughty Dog that was posted on the site as well. Wells has been at Naughty Dog for over 25 years and has climbed up the ranks to become Co-President at the Sony first-party studio. His retirement at the end of the year will see Neil Druckmann step up to assume the role of President of Naughty Dog. Druckmann is best known for his work as Co-Game Director on The Last of Us and The Last of Us Part II. 

While assuming the role and responsibilities of President, Druckmann will continue as head of creative at Naughty Dog. There are other major leadership changes over at the studio with Anthony Newman now heading Production and Design. Erick Pangilinan and Jeremy Yates will now co-head the art department over at Naughty Dog. 

Major Leadership Changes at Naughty Dog as Co-President Evan Wells Announces Retirement

Neil Druckman has been one of the more iconic figures in gaming over the last few years with back-to-back successes in The Last of Us, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and The Last of Us Part II. Druckmann has been instrumental in charting a distinct direction for the studio with bold, creative games such as The Last of Us. 

"I couldn’t be more confident in Neil's ability to carry on running the studio. It’s the right time for me to provide the opportunity for him and the others on the Studio Leadership Team to steer the studio into a successful future," reads Wells' message.

Naughty Dog is one of the most exciting studios currently in the business, with several massive projects in the pipeline, including a Last of Us multiplayer title. There have also been rumblings of a new IP possibly in the works at the studio, but there hasn't been an official confirmation from the studio just yet.