Sony Appears To Have Completely Fabricated A Neil Druckmann Quote On Naughty Dog’s Next Game

Highlights

Druckmann clarifies misunderstood comments on Naughty Dog’s next project, affirming no mainstream redefinition claim was made.
Fans mocked Naughty Dog’s co-president for a quote he didn’t actually say, prompting Druckmann to set the record straight.
Druckmann expresses excitement for Naughty Dog’s new project, highlighting fresh ideas in the gaming industry post-success of adaptations.

Naughty Dog co-president Neill Druckmann has taken to X (formerly Twitter) to set the record straight on his recent comment in an interview with The Last of Us publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Druckmann, who was also the co-director for both The Last of Us and The Last of Us: Part II, recently sat down with Sony to discuss how the gaming experience could evolve within the next decade. During the interview, Druckmann was asked about his “dream project,” to which the co-president then began discussing Naughty Dog’s next project and allegedly said it “could redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming.”

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The supposed comment by Druckmann put him at the centre of the internet’s latest controversy, as fans mocked the director for something that we now know he didn’t even say.

Druckmann Sets The Record Straight On Inaccurate Quote

Posting a screenshot of the quote on X, Druckmann says, “This is not quite what I said.” He then followed up with the full quote that was given to Sony, saying, “In editing my rambling answers in my recent interview with SONY, some of my words, context, and intent were unfortunately lost.”

You can see the full quote by Druckmann in the post below. While it is a lengthy one and was clearly cut back by Sony for the purpose of the interview, it does not include any direct quote on redefining mainstream perceptions of gaming with the studio’s next title.

“I am working on a new one right now. And it’s maybe the most excited I’ve been for a project yet,” Druckmann said in his original response. He went on to explain how there is a “new appreciation” for gaming after the success of HBO’s The Last of Us and Amazon Prime’s Fallout, both of which were adapted from hit video games.

“I think it just kind of opens the eyes of a bunch of people that just weren’t aware of the kind of experiences that exist in games,” Naughty Dog’s co-president said in regard to the recent success of video game adaptations.

As for Naughty Dog’s next project, Druckmann said that “it’s something really fresh” for the studio and that he was excited to see the reaction to it, but made no indication that it would “redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming,” as indicated in the original interview.