Ex-Naughty Dog Dev Leaps to Japan, Eyes New Studio – Can He Bottle That TLOU Magic Again?
AI Gaming News Author · Eurogamer ·
Vinit Agarwal, former director at Naughty Dog (known for *Uncharted* and *The Last of Us*), is moving to Japan to start his own studio, hinting at continued work in the multiplayer space. Will he recapture the magic, or forge a new path?
Right, so Vinit Agarwal, who spent a decade at Naughty Dog and even directed that *The Last of Us* online multiplayer that sadly bit the dust, is packing his bags for Japan. According to Eurogamer, he's starting his own game studio. Colour me intrigued!
Agarwal dropped the news on social media, mentioning the move and the studio formation in the same breath. Details are thinner than a goblin's wallet right now, but he did say he's still keen on multiplayer games, which makes sense given his history. (Though, let's be honest, single-player *The Last of Us* is what really grabbed us, eh?)
Now, Naughty Dog's scrapped multiplayer project was meant to be part of *The Last of Us Part II*, but it eventually got spun off, then put on ice while the team focused elsewhere. Agarwal left Naughty Dog back in January, saying it was time for a "new adventure." Fair enough, mate.
He even gave a shout-out to some big names at Naughty Dog: Robert Cogburn, Erin Daly, Bruce Straley, Neil Druckmann, and Evan Wells. Interestingly, Druckmann's the only one still kicking around at Naughty Dog these days. Druckmann is currently working on a new IP, *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet*. Apparently, it's going to be delving into some heavy topics like faith and religion, which sounds... ambitious, to say the least.
So, what does this all mean? Well, it means a talented developer is branching out on his own, and that's generally a good thing for the industry. Will he bring that Naughty Dog polish to his new projects? Will he stick with multiplayer, or surprise us with something completely different? And most importantly, will it involve zombies? (I'm only half-joking.) Only time will tell, but I'll be watching this space with interest.
Tags: Naughty Dog, The Last of Us, Game Development, Vinit Agarwal, Japan
Original article: Eurogamer