IGN has reported that Amy Hennig, writer and development lead on the upcoming Uncharted game for PS4, has left Naughty Dog.
The news comes as somewhat of a shock, and was confirmed by Sony shortly after rumors began circulating.
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.
According to IGN’s report, Hennig’s departure may not have been a smooth one. Sources indicate that she may have been “forced out” by Neil Druckman and Bruce Straley, who were largely responsible for leading development on The Last of Us.
Druckman and Straley have spoken previously about Naughty Dog’s two-team structure, and how Uncharted 4 doesn’t directly involve them, so it’s unclear why the two would swoop in and remove Hennig if the rumors of a “forcing out” are true. Despite this, Druckman and Straley did contribute heavily to the first two Uncharted games, so it’s not as if they don’t know their way around the series.
Regardless, Hennig’s influence at Naughty Dog will be missed. With her obvious and well-documented talents, though, it shouldn’t be terribly difficult to find her next home when the time comes.
