According to a report from IGN, Amy Hennig, the creative director and writer of the Uncharted series, has left Naughty Dog. Hennig, who joined Naughty Dog during the Jak & Daxter series on PlayStation 2 and just celebrated her 10th anniversary with the studio, was the driving force behind Nathan Drake’s adventures on the PlayStation 3, serving as writer for Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception. Hennig’s role as writer and creative director had continued through the development of the latest Uncharted games, which was announced for PlayStation 4 in November.

IGN received confirmation of Hennig’s departure from representatives at Sony, who provided the following quote:

 We can confirm that Amy Hennig has left Naughty Dog. Amy has made significant contributions to the game industry and we appreciate all she has done for Naughty Dog. The development timeline of Uncharted will not be impacted. 

What might be more concerning is IGN’s report from “numerous trusted sources” that Hennig may not have left voluntarily. The story asserts that Hennig was “forced out” by Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley, who had worked with Hennig on Uncharted 2 and served as writer and director for The Last of Us. Those same sources informed IGN that Druckmann and Straley may now be serving as the creative team behind the PS4’s Uncharted game.

This news, as well as last week’s major layoffs at fellow Worldwide Studios developer Sony Santa Monica, comes as a surprise in the midst of a wave of good news for the Japanese tech company. The PlayStation 4 has been exceeding sales expectations around the globe, passing six million in sales to consumers through the end of February, including over 300,000 units during the first two days of the console’s launch in its home territory. Expect more on Hennig’s departure in the days and weeks to come, and check back with SonyRumors for all the latest on her future and what’s next for Uncharted and Naughty Dog.

Update, 3/5/14: Hennig took to Twitter this morning, following the news of her departure from Naughty Dog, and thanked those who’d been messaging her support in her own way–with a touch of humor and a lot of gratitude:

She also thanked a number of fellow developers and members of the gaming press who’d taken the time to reach out to her. You can follow the former Uncharted writer @amy_hennig. As of yet, there has been no comment from Naughty Dog, or those believed to be responsible for her departure, Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley. We’ll update this story as it develops.

Discuss:

Do you think Amy Hennig was ‘forced out’ at Naughty Dog? What effect will this have on the developer, and on Uncharted for PS4? Where will Hennig end up next? Let us know in the comments.

[Via IGN]