It was announced that Neil Druckmann has been promoted to the position of Co-President of Naughty Dog. Evans Wells, the President of the Santa Monica based studio, confirmed the news in a press release.
In an all studio meeting, Wells announced: “Neil Druckmann now joins me as Co-President of Naughty Dog, after serving almost three years as Vice President.” But the promotions didn’t stop with Druckmann. Alison Mori (formerly the Director of Operations), and Christian Gyrling (Co-Director of Programming), were both promoted to Vice Presidents of Naughty Dog.
Wells highlighted The Last of Us Part II back in June as one of the “bright moments”.
“We have such an incredible team at Naughty Dog and being able to work alongside each and every one of them is especially meaningful these days” the statement reads on.
Wells said that he felt “proud of the team when I’m able to recognize their accomplishments and contributions to the studio.”
In other Naughty Dog news, a new story trailer for The Last Of Us Part II was released, reimagining the story from Abby’s perspective. While there are theories starting to float around (and one intriguing tweet from a TLOU2 voice actor) concerning the potential for DLC for The Last of Us Part II, the trailer provides “a glimpse into Abby’s unique gameplay and how her training, equipment, and skills contrast Ellie’s.”
At the end of October, former Naughty Dog developer, Zak Oliver, joined Sony San Diego on a new project as a senior environment artist. Oliver has worked on The Last Of Us Part II, as well as Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Uncharted: A Lost Legacy.
For more on The Last Of Us Part II, check out the latest entry in the Hidden Gems from GameLuster, a series that takes a closer look at the title.
