Evan Wells is probably not someone casual gamers have seen or heard of, as he’s been behind the scenes for over 15 years. That’s not to say he wasn’t hugely important, as he’s been a key part of both Naughty Dog and PlayStation’s massive success with Uncharted and The Last of Us. That’s why tonight’s news is so interesting.
wells Announce He’s retiring at the end of the year as co-president of Naughty Dog, and it doesn’t sound like he’s going to continue working in the games industry, given his 25 years at the studio and giving us lots of Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted and The Last of Us game.
It will be very interesting to see if this leads to any changes at Naughty Dog. Eighteen years as president of Kennel obviously meant that he was a very important part of the studio’s move from the more cartoony and kid-friendly titles to the mature and story-focused titles we’re known for today. He sounds like Neil Druckmann, who was promoted to co-president three years ago, will be the sole president, but I’m guessing it’s temporary since Druckmann is already busy with a new game and Production on Season 2 of HBO’s The Last of Us. Then it’s nearly impossible to be the sole president of a studio that’s working on at least two other games. Still, enjoy your retirement, Evan. You absolutely deserve it.
