Prominent game designer, Evan Wells, has decided to retire after 25 years at Naughty Dog.
Yesterday, the company let out a joint statement with Co-President Evan Wells, announcing the game designer’s retirement from development after 25 years of work. Evan Wells has worked on pretty much everything Naughty Dog is known for, from Crash Bandicoot: Warped to The Last Of Us Part II and some other well-known non-Naughty Dog mascot titles like Gex. It’s safe to say there will be a void left with Wells’ departure.
Evan Wells said in a statement released on their website, “The decision brings with it overwhelming and conflicting emotions, but I’ve come to realize that I’m content with my time at the studio and all that we’ve accomplished together over the last 25 years. I couldn’t be more confident in Neil’s ability to carry on running the studio” with “I am positive that Naughty Dog will continue to push the industry and our medium forward” in his farewell address.
Evan Wells started in the game design scene as a level tester for Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron and moved on to the mascot platformer Gex right afterwards. The rest, some would argue, is history, as almost every production the Neil Druckmann lead studio has developed has had Evan Wells work in it. The Uncharted, Jak, and The Last of Us series all have Evan Wells as part of their DNA. Although Wells worked different roles within the company during production, all of the titles produced have been well received under Wells.
Wells retires as the Co-President of Naughty Dog, leaving impossibly massive shoes to fill in the design space. Neil Druckmann will continue as President of the studio, and only time will tell what the future holds for Evan Wells. Fans can read Wells’ full statement on the official Naughty Dog website.
