UPDATE: In a statement from Naughty Dog, its co-presidents had this to say,
“We feel it necessary to clear up a very important point that was unprofessionally misreported when the story broke. Bruce Straley and Neil Druckmann were NOT involved in what transpired.”
Amy Hennig, creative director for all three console iterations of the Uncharted series, has left Naughty Dog after 10 years. March 3rd marked the end of her work on the upcoming Uncharted game for Playstation 4, which included writing and leading development for the title. Sources are claiming she was “forced out” by Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, directors of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us.
In a statement, Sony had this to say,
“We can confirm that Amy Hennig has left Naughty Dog. Amy has made significant contributions to the game industry and we appreciate all she has done for Naughty Dog. The development timeline of Uncharted will not be impacted.”
Hennig, one of the highest regarded creative forces in the industry, leaves behind a legacy of some of the best games for Playstation 3. Uncharted 3 in particular, won her an award for Outstanding Achievement in Writing from the Writer’s Guild of America. Her writing and direction for the series, especially for the second and third installments were breaths of fresh air for an industry mired in gritty characters and beige dialogue.
With a resume like Hennig’s it shouldn’t be too long before she finds a position at another developer. For any updates on this story, keep your eyes glued to LevelSave.