Fans of Uncharted and The Last of Us, Keep a Very Close Eye on This New Studio

Former Naughty Dog Game Director Vinit Agarwal and Joe Pettinati Depart Studio Post-The Last of Us Online Cancellation

Naughty Dog stands as one of PlayStation’s most reputable studios, consistently producing landmark titles like The Last of Us and Uncharted across generations of consoles. The studio is known for its meticulous attention to detail, a process that sometimes includes a “crunch culture,” and it employs some of the industry’s elite developers. Despite this, Naughty Dog has experienced significant personnel turnover in recent years, particularly following the release of The Last of Us Part II and, more recently, after the cancellation of The Last of Us Online. Among those departing is Vinit Agarwal, a former Game Director who spent ten years at Naughty Dog. During his tenure, Agarwal contributed to the development of Uncharted 4, its standalone expansion Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and The Last of Us Part II. Most recently, he served as director for the standalone The Last of Us Online multiplayer project, which ultimately did not materialize. Agarwal announced his departure via a LinkedIn post this past January. Joe Pettinati, another familiar face from The Last of Us Online team, also left Naughty Dog this year.

Agarwal has now embarked on a new venture, announcing on July 8th that he is forming a new development studio in Japan. He indicated via social media in June of last year that he intended to continue making multiplayer games, driven by his passion for the genre. He is relocating to Japan this week, with plans to establish his new studio there on July 9th. While details about the new studio are currently sparse, whispers suggest it may pick up where The Last of Us Online left off, a project that Naughty Dog scrapped in December 2023 due to resource constraints. Although it may take a few years to get his new studio fully operational, Agarwal is clearly focused on online games.

Meanwhile, Naughty Dog continues to focus on its future projects. Neil Druckmann, who recently stepped back from the HBO live-action adaptation of The Last of Us to concentrate on the studio, is now fully immersed in game development. He is focusing on a brand-new game titled Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which explores themes of faith and religion. Additionally, some speculate that Naughty Dog may be working on a return to the Uncharted universe. Despite recent departures, Anthony Newman, also part of The Last of Us Online team, continues to lead the production team at Naughty Dog. The studio also recently updated The Last of Us Part II Remastered, introducing a new way to approach the storyline chronologically. For fans of Uncharted and The Last of Us, these developments, from Naughty Dog’s upcoming titles to Vinit Agarwal’s new venture in multiplayer gaming, offer exciting prospects for the future. Source: Vinit Agarwal.