Director Apologizes After Criticizing God of War Laufey in Industry Rant

Former Naughty Dog director Bruce Straley has apologized to the team behind the upcoming God of War Laufey after using the game as an example in a broader critique of the triple-A games industry. In a recent interview with Edge magazine, Straley, who directed The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, stated that he finds many modern triple-A experiences "boring" and lacking innovation. During the interview, Straley specifically cited God of War Laufey, saying, "I look at that game, and every pixel is mindblowing. The amount of work and skill that's gone into every single frame... But when I actually look at what you're doing in the game? I'm not excited." He clarified that his comment was not against the God of War team but was intended as a general observation about the industry. Following the circulation of his remarks, Straley posted an apology on X to the Santa Monica Studio team. "I want to apologize to the Laufey team for dragging you all into this uninvited and unnecessary negative attention," he 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.