The Last of Us director apologises for calling out Sony Santa Monica’s God of War Laufey after saying he was “not excited”
The Last of Us director Bruce Straley has apologized to the God of War development team at Sony Santa Monica for publicly criticizing the upcoming game, stating he was “not excited” about its gameplay direction.
Straley’s comments came during an Edge magazine cover story exploring “The game industry is broken - can we fix?”, which featured interviews with nine industry veterans discussing persistent challenges including widespread layoffs, escalating development budgets, and studio closures.
In the interview, Straley expressed frustration with the current state of triple-A game development, arguing that modern blockbuster titles have become “boring” and that developers lack opportunities to introduce genuinely fresh, innovative ideas. He suggested he would “probably never” create the type of large-budget game he envisions under current industry conditions. His comments prompted the apology, acknowledging the sensitivity of public criticism between peers in the industry.
The discussion underscores ongoing tensions within the gaming sector regarding creative constraints imposed by massive budgets and risk-averse publishing strategies.