Developer Naughty Dog announced today via their official blog that some changes are underway regarding the company’s leadership hierarchy and upcoming game The Last of Us Part II.
President Evan Wells stated that longtime Uncharted designer and creative director of The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, Neil Druckmann, will now be seated as Naughty Dog’s vice president, taking up a larger role that sees him working on other aspects of the company.
Despite his promotion, Druckmann will continue to provide creative direction to the studio’s upcoming project, The Last of Us Part II, alongside two new co-directors: Uncharted: The Lost Legacy director Kurt Margenau and designer Anthony Newman. Emilia Schatz and Richard Cambier have also been promoted to work as lead designers on the game.
Given this change in workforce, it will certainly be interesting to see the direction this sequel will go and if its narrative will be impacted by the presence of two new directors. Only time will tell for certain, though for now fans can continue to rewatch the latest trailer for the game that debuted during last year’s Paris Games Week.
The Last of Us Part II currently doesn’t have a release date or launch window, though speculation suggests that it may debut in 2019.