Uncharted and The Last of Us Director Calls AAA Games ‘Boring’, Then Apologizes to God of War Laufey’s Team
Bruce Straley, the director behind The Last of Us and Uncharted 2, spent a new interview with Edge magazine arguing that the entire triple-A industry has lost its spark. Along the way, he used Santa Monica Studio’s upcoming God of War Laufey as his example, and within a day he was walking part of it back on X.
The Triple-A Space Is “Boring”
Talking to Edge about the state of AAA development, Straley didn’t mince words, describing the verbs and experiences the industry is currently delivering as “boring.” He argued the space keeps chasing the same live-service playbook instead of taking creative risks, and pointed to games like Half-Life 2, Gears of War, BioShock, Uncharted 2 and The Last of Us, several of which he worked on himself, as the last real wave of innovation. Rather than blaming the developers actually making today’s games, he pointed higher up the chain, arguing there’s a lack of good leadership and clear direction from the people at the top who control the money.
Then He Named God of War Laufey
The comment that actually spread online was more specific. Asked to weigh in on a recent trailer, Straley singled out God of War Laufey, Santa Monica Studio’s PS5 exclusive due out February 16, 2027, starring Faye, Kratos’s late wife, as she navigates the realm of the dead known as the Everywhen. He didn’t hold back on the visuals, calling every pixel of the game mindblowing. But he wasn’t sold on what players will actually be doing, saying “when I actually look at what you’re doing in the game? I’m not excited.”
Faye explores the Everywhen in God of War Laufey, out February 16, 2027 on PS5
The Apology
Once the quote started circulating on its own, stripped of the surrounding argument about industry-wide leadership, Straley posted an apology on X. He wrote that he wanted to apologize to the Laufey team for dragging them into unwanted attention, explaining that his point was being used out of context and for clickbait, and that none of it reflected on the development team itself. He closed the thread simply: “You don’t need this. I’m sorry.”
Who Is Bruce Straley
Straley spent 18 years at Naughty Dog, starting as co-art director on the original Uncharted before moving into the director’s chair for Uncharted 2, Uncharted 4 and The Last of Us, plus its Left Behind DLC, some of the most acclaimed action-adventure games of the last generation. He left the studio in 2017 and later founded Wildflower Interactive, publicly unveiled in 2022, which is currently developing the puzzle-platformer Coven of the Chicken Foot.
What God of War Laufey Actually Is
None of this reflects on Laufey itself, which remains one of Sony’s most anticipated PS5 exclusives. Announced alongside its release date at San Diego Comic-Con this past July, the game puts players in control of Faye for the first time, exploring an afterlife shared by gods from multiple mythologies while Kratos and Atreus’s story continues elsewhere. Director Cory Barlog has already confirmed a separate, still-untitled sequel bringing Kratos back as the playable lead is in development, describing Faye’s story as meant to “set up and expand what comes next” for the franchise.
Straley’s larger point, that the industry needs more creative risk-taking from the top down, is one plenty of veteran developers have made before. This time, though, it came with an unintended casualty, and a public apology, attached.
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Picture Source: PlayStation
