game news This video game legend is retiring after 25 years of good and loyal service Concerned about Uncharted and The Last of Us?
The information has come out: this big name in the video game industry is stepping down after 25 years of good and loyal service. Bad news for this iconic studio?
Evan Wells, the Naughty Dog veteran
30… That’s the number of years Evan Wells has spent in the video game industry. And over the years he’s had time to build up an impressive track record. The American gained his first experience at Sega before quickly moving to Crystal Dynamics and working on the Gex license for four years. As a side note, we recently learned that the license would also be coming back with a new version of the original trilogy. Now back to Evan Wells who, after taking good care of our favorite lizard, decided to join a new studio: cheeky dog
We are then in 1998. Evan Wells doesn’t know yet, but he just stepped into the box he will stay in for 25 years. Over time, Evan has made a name for himself in the studio, effectively collaborating on many projects from Crash Bandicoot: Warped to Jak 3. When the studio’s two founders decided to leave the studio in 2004, Evan Wells became co-president of Naughty Dog. He will work in pairs with Stephen White, then Frenchman Christophe Balestra and finally Neil Druckmann. Given that longevity, it seemed almost impossible to unseat Evan Wells from his post. But this 25th year at Naughty Dog will be the last.
After an incredible 25 years, Naughty Dog Co-President Evan Wells announces that he will be retiring later this year. We are very grateful for his talent, leadership and leadership in shaping our studio.
Read more from Evan here: https://t.co/K2kev1KkQi pic.twitter.com/7GrK5XClWp
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) July 11, 2023
Evan Wells retires
At the end of the year, Evan Wells will indeed retire. He gave no particular reason for wanting to explain this departure, other than that he finally realized that was the case “Happy with the time in the studio and with everything we have achieved together over the past 25 years.” We don’t know if the man intends to continue working in the video game industry or move away from it. And if that departure might worry some players about the future of the studio’s flagship licenses, Evan Wells wanted to reassure them:
There’s never a perfect time, but I’m incredibly confident. I know that I will leave the studio in good, best hands. Neil and the rest of the capable and dynamic management team are in a unique position to ensure that Naughty Dog continues to be an industry leader – not just in terms of the games we make, but the environment in which we make them. . {…} I’ve never been more excited about our current projects and it will be hard to accept not following these games until they are released. But we’ve never had such a strong team on site. So I am confident that we will introduce them in a way that will turn the industry standards on its head and exceed all expectations.
Note, however, that this departure will result in a reorganization of the company. Neil Druckmann needs to find another leadership duo. In a broader sense, some things will change. As Druckmann explained, there will be a redistribution of some positions. But to achieve this, the box will draw on its long-standing talents. Erick Pangilinan will take over as Artistic Director after 25 years at Naughty Dog. His sidekick in this position will be Jeremy Yates, who has excelled in many Uncharted titles. Production and design direction is by Anthony Newman, none other than co-director of The Last of Us Part II. So, a priori, there are no major changes, but it will still be necessary to monitor this closely.
