The Last of Us director apologises for calling out Sony Santa Monica's God of War Laufey after saying he was "not excited"

eurogamer.net Sep 20, 2026

The Last of Us director apologises for calling out Sony Santa Monica’s God of War Laufey after saying he was “not excited”

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 20, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Bruce Straley, co‑director of The Last of Us, issued a public apology to Sony Santa Monica’s God of War Laufey team after stating in Edge’s “The game industry is broken” cover story that he was “not excited” by the upcoming title’s gameplay. In the interview, Straley lamented the lack of innovation in modern triple‑A games, claiming the genre has become “boring” and that his own ideas for a new AAA experience are unlikely to materialise. He praised Laufey’s visual polish but said the overall experience failed to inspire him, a comment he later said was taken out of context and used for clickbait. Straley’s apology on X emphasized that his criticism was aimed at industry trends, not the studio, and reiterated his concern that repetitive design risks player fatigue.

💡 Why It Matters

· Straley’s misstep spotlights how outspoken critiques from high‑profile developers can quickly become flashpoints, forcing studios to defend creative choices while the industry wrestles with stagnation.

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