Naughty Dog’s Co-President Christophe Balestra has announced that he will be retiring from the prestige studio. Speaking on Naughty Dog’s website, Balestra called it an difficult decision, citing a desire to pursue personal ambitions as his reason for stepping away.
“It’s very challenging to come to the realization that it’s time to step away from a career to pursue fulfilling personal ambitions and projects,” he wrote on the official Naughty Dog website. “I am doing it now out of utmost respect for the team and their unwavering dedication to Naughty Dog and our projects. The time has come for me to now spend more time with my family and create a void to see what I can fill it with (which will obviously involve programming).”
Balestra was notably important as he presided over Naughty Dog’s meteoric rise. His absence will undoubtedly be missed. At the same time, Naughty Dog is full of extremely talented people, and hopefully the studio will not miss any beat because of this.
