While working on video games sounds like a dream to many, it’s worth remembering that it is also a highly stressful job. This is the core message delivered by former Naughty Dog director Bruce Straley who worked on big titles such as The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. During a Final Games podcast, Straley discussed recognition in the field, personal reflections, and the development of a game.

Initially, Straley made clear that his final day at Naughty Dog was the “most validating experience” in his career because the whole team was there. However, the former Last of Us director also stated, “it’s crazy that you have to leave somewhere to get the acknowledgment.”  Although Straley didn’t seem to mention why he chose to leave, he had also worked at Naughty Dog for 18 years – an impressive feat that may or may not have affected his decision.

During the interview, Straley also reflected on The Last of US, stating it “was really the culmination of a lot of philosophies that I had been building up and that was amazing.” Although he is not working on The Last of Us Part II, the game seems likely to release late 2018 or early 2018. Hopefully, the new director maintains Straley’s vision for the game, although Naughty Dog has confirmed much darker themes and the fact that Joel and Ellie are not safe from death. 

Moreover, Straley isn’t the only director to recently leave Naughty Dog. Shaun Escayg, who was the creative director behind Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, has also left the company, although it seems he is joining Square Enix’s Avengers project. Straley is still on hiatus but left the Final Games podcast with some choice words about the types of attitude during the development process: “‘f#ck it’ where you give up or ‘f#ck it’ and nothing matters.”

Since The Last of Us was a major accomplishment for Straley, the next game has a lot of expectations to meet, especially considering it is nearly 60% complete. Straley himself remains unaffiliated, but his talents will be missed until his return; until then, the man has earned a break.

The Last of Us 2 is being exclusively developed for the PlayStation 4.

Source: Final Games Podcast