Naughty Dog leadership changes announced as Evan Wells retires
Evan Wells, who has been with game developer Naughty Dog for 25 years, has announced his retirement from the studio at the end of the ongoing year. He’s currently the co-president of the company famous for making The Last Of Us, Uncharted, and Crash Bandicoot. His colleague Neil Druckmann will continue in his leadership position and as head of creative.
Wells’ retirement seems to have paved the way for several other changes in the structure of the studio, which have been detailed by Druckmann in a message shared with the employees and the public. According to that blog post, Alison Mori will be promoted to studio manager and head of operations, joining Druckmann in managing the business side of things.
Arne Meyer and Christian Gyrling were confirmed in their respective positions as heads of culture and communications as well as head of technology. Erick Pangilinan and Jeremy Yates, who’ve been with the studio for over 20 years, ascend to new leadership roles as co-heads of the art department, while Anthony Newman will be the new head of production and design.
“While Evan will be terribly missed, I am confident that our evolved Studio Leadership Team will allow us to thrive and grow in new areas,” Druckmann wrote.
Wells wrote: “The decision brings with it overwhelming and conflicting emotions, but I’ve come to realize that I’m content with my time at the studio and all that we’ve accomplished together over the last 25 years. 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.”
Naughty Dog is currently working on a The Last Of Us multiplayer game, which is as yet untitled.
