Naughty Dog LEAD CHARACTER ARTIST leaves studio

Is there fucking uranium in the water at Naughty Dog? Is there some sort of Krampus-like villain that patrols the halls, whipping everyone for insubstantial infractions? ‘Cause GODDAMN is everyone bailing out on the studio. The latest in the long line of departures? The lead character artist.

Naughty Dog lead character artist Michael Knowland has left the studio following his work on last year’s The Last of Us, Superannuation reports.

Knowland worked with Naughty Dog for more than three years, with over two years dedicated to the critical and commercial hit The Last of Us. Knowland worked previously at Elite: Dangerous studio Frontier Developments.

He joins the likes of previous Naughty Dog alumni including Uncharted 4 game director Justin Richmond and series creative director Amy Hennig, both of whom recently left the company. Richmond has since gone on to join League of Legends studio Riot Games, while Hennig has moved on to Visceral Games to aid in the development of its upcoming Star Wars game. Knowland has yet to reveal his future plans. [Polygon]