The Last of Us director, Bruce Straley, has opened up about his departure from Naughty Dog back in 2016 in what can only be described as his most revealing commentary yet. One of the main reasons for his exit? The “repetition” in the studio’s established game design.
“I had been there 18 years. That’s a long time for anybody to be anywhere,” Straley explained in a conversation with Polygon. “I think I played a very integral role in building that brand up and those titles, and I had a really amazing experience with those teams. But I felt like I was answering the same questions over and over again. We were kind of in this paradigm of this style of game — that I was part of creating! But it felt like I’ve been in this position before. My brain isn’t good with that type of repetition. I need new problems to solve, new creative outlets. I’m not saying there wouldn’t be opportunities there, but couple that feeling with the idea that I was working really, really hard at something that wasn’t mine.”
Straley’s journey at Naughty Dog kicked off as an artist on Crash Team Racing before he rose through the ranks to co-art director on the original Uncharted in 2007. He then directed iconic titles like Uncharted 2, The Last of Us, The Last of Us: Left Behind, and Uncharted 4 prior to his departure in 2017. In 2021, he founded his own studio, Wildflower Interactive, and just last night at The Game Awards 2025, they unveiled their debut title, Coven of the Chicken Foot.
While we’re still waiting for more on Naughty Dog’s upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, it seems Straley was craving something fresh after directing three massive, narrative-driven titles. He was certainly onto something; Naughty Dog has continued to build on that very same approach for years, even revisiting The Last of Us 2 for various re-releases. “For me, it’s this evolution of: How can I just take something from a different angle and create a fresh perspective on a genre that’s been well-trodden?” he remarked. “And if I’m not doing that… I just don’t have it in me. I would make a lot more money if I did!”
Interestingly, Coven of the Chicken Foot is described as an emotionally-rich, stylized, single-player adventure. While it maintains a thread to Naughty Dog’s design philosophy of the past two decades, it diverges quite a bit stylistically. The game features a vibrant, colorful, cel-shaded look reminiscent of Ghibli’s works, a stark contrast to the near-photorealistic visuals that Naughty Dog is known for.
In terms of gameplay, Wildflower describes it as “a charming yet dark, character puzzle-platformer set in a stylized world that ‘winks’ at the tropes of a traditional fantasy-adventure game.” This certainly aligns with what Straley has expressed about steering clear of creative repetition.
Lastly, there’s a note about a comment from an ex-PlayStation lead who expressed some concerns when Naughty Dog pivoted from Uncharted to The Last of Us, pondering whether that choice might have been too niche.
“I had been there 18 years. That’s a long time for anybody to be anywhere.”
Bruce Straley