Naughty Dog Studio Announces Retirement of Co-President, Evan Wells, and Neil Druckmann to Assume Sole Leadership
In a recent announcement, Sony Interactive Entertainment‘s (SIE) Naughty Dog studio confirmed that Evan Wells, one of the co-presidents, will be retiring at the end of this year. The studio also revealed that Neil Druckmann will take over as the sole president.
Evan Wells has been part of Naughty Dog for over 30 years, joining the studio in 1998. Throughout his tenure, he has witnessed the studio’s tremendous growth from a team of 14 people to over 400 people. Wells expressed his gratitude for the important milestones in his life that are intertwined with his work at Naughty Dog, including meeting his wife, going on a honeymoon, and the birth of their two children. Despite feeling encouraged by his time at the studio, Wells believes that it is the right time to step down and entrust Naughty Dog’s future to Neil Druckmann and the rest of the leadership team.
Neil Druckmann, also a co-president and creative director at Naughty Dog, emphasized the strategic planning done by him and Wells over the past few years to establish a leadership structure that aligns with the studio’s growing team and prepares for its future. With Wells’ retirement, Druckmann will assume sole responsibility as the president and lead the studio.
Additionally, Naughty Dog announced the updated management team lineup for the upcoming period. The new lineup includes Alison Mori, who has been promoted to Studio Manager and Head of Operations. Arne Meyer will continue serving as the Head of Culture and Communications, while Christian Gyrling will take charge as the Head of Technology. Erick Pangilinan and Jeremy Yates will serve as Co-Heads of Art, and Anthony Newman will assume the role of Head of Production and Design.
The announcement marks a significant transition for Naughty Dog, one of the industry’s leading game development studios, known for successful titles like the Uncharted series and The Last of Us. With Neil Druckmann taking on the role of president, fans and industry insiders are eager to see what the future holds for the studio under new leadership.