The Last of Us director apologises to God of War Laufey team for citing it while saying AAA experiences are ‘boring’

The game director of The Last of Us and Uncharted series has apologised to the God of War Laufey team at Sony’s Santa Monica Studio for recent comments made on the state of AAA games.

Bruce Straley was at Naughty Dog for 18 years, during which time he served as game director on The Last of Us and its Left Behind DLC, as well as co-art director on Uncharted, and game director on Uncharted 2 and Uncharted 4.

In a recent interview with Edge magazine, Straley gave his thoughts on the state of AAA games, saying he struggled to get enthusiastic about what they were offering these days.

“I think the verbs and experiences we’re delivering in the triple-A space are… I wanna say boring,” Straley told the publication, reportedly laughing.

Citing Santa Monica Studio‘s upcoming game, he then added: “God Of War Laufey, I look at that game, and every pixel is mindblowing. The amount of work and skill that’s gone into every single frame… I’ve made those kinds of games, and I’m still blown away.

“But when I actually look at what you’re doing in the game? I’m not excited. And that’s nothing against the God Of War team. Just, across the board in triple-A, it feels like there’s no opportunity to inject fresh, innovative ideas.”

Straley’s comments started to spread online, causing him to post an apology to Santa Monica Studio on X, claiming his words were being used out of context and explaining that his views were based on AAA games in general, rather than their specific title.

“I want to apologize to the Laufey team for dragging you all into this uninvited and unnecessary negative attention,” Straley wrote. “I was trying to illustrate an industry concern and my mistake of naming your game is being used out of context and for clickbait. You don’t need this. I’m sorry.

“A journo asked me about the state of our industry. I mentioned a few concerns. One being the lack of innovation and risks taken in the AAA space. Though this isn’t the team’s fault! My fear is that our player base is getting tired of playing the same verbs for the last 20 years.”

“‘Industry leaders’ don’t know their own brand,” Straley claims

Straley added: “Our medium is unique because players are doing a thing. There’s a different physiological response than viewers who just watch a movie. This requires us creators to continue to push and create new experiences, or we run the risk of diminishing players’ dopamine.

“Half-Life 2 was released in 2004. Gears: 2006. Bioshock: 2007. Uncharted 2: 2009. The Last of Us: 2013. I feel like those games (and more) set the the ‘modern AAA’ mold. Each felt like they were trying to create a new experience within AAA. But this is only one side of my concerns.

“Unfortunately the platforms that need to bring stability have eroded the ability to innovate. The quest for games as a service and wanting to recreate the next Overwatch, Fortnite, Roblox, etc is not a viable strategy and frankly shows these ‘industry leaders’ don’t know their own brand.

“Hot take: There’s a lack of good leadership, clear direction & conviction from the ppl at the top, in charge of the money. (Money = stability) I believe if they understand their brand, they could have honest, inspiring conversations with creators to steer our medium to innovate.

“Anyway… blah blah blah. I have thoughts about what’s wrong, and the possible serious harm done to our industry and how we might be able to fix it. But in trying to have a thoughtful conversation I stuck my foot in my mouth and mentioned Laufey, and that was my mistake.”

God of War Laufey is set for release on February 16, 2027 and stars Faye (Laufey the Just), Kratos’s Norse wife and the mother of Atreus. The game was announced during a State of Play live stream in June, where Santa Monica Studio debuted more than 20 minutes of gameplay footage.

“Awakening unexpectedly in a strange land after her funeral, Faye discovers the plans she put in place to protect Kratos and Atreus are now at risk,” a synopsis for the game reads.

“To save the ones she loves, Faye must fight through the afterlife of the gods — the Everywhen — where ruthless gods from across mythology vie for power in a land overflowing with dangerous magic.”