Neil Druckmann's Time Creating Games Might Be Coming to an End

Druckmann isn't alone, with other leading creatives in the AAA game development space joining in with similar statements following his own. This sentiment has also been echoed by Cory Barlog, the director of God of War, via Twitter.

At first, Druckmann's comments might sound like the thoughts of a weary director, but upon further examination, one can clearly see that this is a genuine commentary on the changing landscape of the gaming industry. The AAA space is becoming increasingly untenable, with budgets ballooning to unsustainable levels.

When studios fail to recoup their investments, they often resort to cutbacks and layoffs, which have affected close to 17,000 people to date. This financial strain, coupled with the personal toll on creators and the unacceptable cycle of recurring layoffs, begs the question: What is the future of game development?

As of now, the Naughty Dog boss doesn't see his future far from the creative realm, though. Having enjoyed his work on HBO's The Last of Us and other lower-key projects, Druckmann has suggested a potential shift towards mediums that allow for creative expression without the enormous stress of video game blockbusters.

Does this mean we might get to see Druckmann collaborate with other showrunners on future TV projects? Maybe, or at least we hope so. Until then, we can only hope that Druckmann has one more masterpiece of a game left in him.