The Last of Us director, Bruce Straley, leaves Naughty Dog

Game director Bruce Straley, known for his work on The Last of Us and Uncharted 4: A Theif’s End has left yesterday on the Naughty Dog blog. "It’s impossible to summarize 18 of the most influential years of my career in a blog post, but here we are — today, with the heaviest of hearts, I am announcing my departure from Naughty Dog," Straley said.

Straley started in 1999 for the developer as a texture artist on Crash Team Racing, having previously worked for Crystal Dynamics on two of the Gex series of games, Gex: Enter the Gecko and Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko. He continued to work as an artist before becoming an art and then game director on the Uncharted series.

I joined the Kennel in 1999," said Straley on the Naughty Dog blog. "Back before Naughty Dog even had a coffee maker. I was employee #15. From day one, I knew I was surrounded by some of the most talented, driven, and passionate people in the industry. They were pushing themselves to do things beyond what they even thought was possible, which in turn pushed me, and I loved it!

"As I close this chapter with a heavy heart and an appreciation for everything Naughty Dog has done for me, I open the next with an excitement to continue the journey into the creative process. I don’t have anything to announce just yet, but I look forward to the discovery and to sharing it with you all soon."

Straley’s most noted work at Naughty Dog was as game director for Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 4: A Theif’s End, and The Last of Us.