Naughty Dog Studio Head Neil Druckmann has taken to Twitter/X to clarify comments made in a recent interview with Sony, wherein he allegedly declared Naughty Dog’s new title would “redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming”.
Published on Sony.com, the interview piece entitled ‘The Evolution of Storytelling Across Mediums’ featured a Q&A style format where the Naughty Dog studio head touched on highly divisive topics such as AI implementation, emerging technologies, and new trends in transmedia storytelling.
Read: The Last of Us online multiplayer game officially cancelled
In the days since, Druckmann has claimed some of his comments were misconstrued in editing. He posted a screenshot of an interview transcript, stating, “In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with SONY, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost.”
The screenshot details the self-described “rambling answer” from Druckmann, expressing excitement to see what the reaction will be when Naughty Dog’s next project is announced, and noting a “spotlight” on gaming off the back of success stories like Fallout and The Last Of Us‘ TV adaptations.
In contrast, the summarised version of Druckmann’s response in the Sony piece reads as follows:
“The show’s success has spotlighted gaming, illustrating the rich, immersive experiences it offers. This visibility excites me not only for our current project but for the broader potential of gaming to captivate a global audience. I’m eager to see how this new game resonates, especially following the success of The Last of Us, as it could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.”
Public reaction to the initial interview was largely mixed, with some social media users calling into question the validity of the original remark. Druckmann’s response has now seemingly been met with similar division, with a significant portion of the post’s quote reposts also containing scrutiny over Druckmann’s vocal political stance.
Though details of the project in question remain few and far between, Naughty Dog confirmed in March that their next focus was a brand new game, unrelated to The Last of Us franchise, as well as confirming the cancellation of the online multiplayer project known as The Last of Us Online.
