In a surprise move,Marvel’s Avengers' Creative Director Shaun Escayg has left the game to return to his former studio,Naughty Dog. As of yet, there is no information on what Escayg will be working on while atNaughty Dog.
Escayg’s career started as an animator in the film industry, where he worked on a handful of movies, the largest of which beingTransformers: Dark of the MoonandScott Pilgrim vs. the World. From there, Escayg went to Naughty Dog to work as an animator onThe Last of Usbefore becoming the creative director and writer ofUncharted: The Lost Legacy.He eventually left to work as creative director onMarvel’s Avengers. The move comes amidst recent reports thatPlayStation is prioritizing blockbuster hits over smaller titles.
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The news was announced via Escayg’s Twitter with nothing more than a simple picture of a Naughty Dog coffee mug and the caption “Happy to be back with the dogs!” With Sony’s reported interest in blockbuster titles, as well as the recent news that anUnchartedspin-off title was canceled, the timing seems perfect for Escayg to return and possibly contribute to a fifth entry in the series. However, nothing official has been announced about just what Escayg is working on at the studio, and it could be nearly anything, as Naughty Dog boasts a large stable of popular franchises in addition to the company’s upcoming ventures into the film and television industries as well.
Escayg’s departure fromMarvel’s Avengers, however, does come at an interesting time. The superhero multiplayer looter has been receiving a steady flow of updates and events to help it build a larger player base afterMarvel’s Avengers' launch left publisher Square Enix disappointed. While it is not clear who is taking over Escayg’s role as creative director onMarvel’s Avengers, he does respond to a fan question on his Tweet regarding the game saying that the game is in good hands.
WithNaughty Dog reportedly having multiple projects in the works, includingThe Last of Us 2’s multiplayer mode, it makes a lot of sense that the developer would look to bring back some of its successful former employees to help ensure the projects are successful. WithThe Last of Us 2just released last year, it will likely be another couple of years before we see another full title come from Naughty Dog, but it will be exciting to see what the future holds for the studio as well as for Escayg.
