Naughty Dog Head Of Technology, Christian Gyrling, Is Leaving The Studio

In a tweet on X (formerly known as Twitter), Naughty Dog announced the departure of its Head of Technology, Christian Gyrling. Having joined the studio almost two decades ago, Gyrling was also appointed as a co-vice president alongside Alison Mori in 2020. 

pic.twitter.com/3G1cMQqcyA

— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) November 10, 2023

This has sparked a debate over the state of the industry, specifically on the side of PlayStation, during the tenure of Jim Ryan who is also stepping down from his position in Spring 2024. For the uninitiated, Hiroki Totoki will be appointed as an Interim CEO and continue his normal duties while holding up Ryan’s role while searching for his successor.

Coming back to Naughty Dog, people believe that this is another damaging blow to the studio following a series of rather lackluster events. Between the departure of critical staff, laying off contract workers, remasters, a pointless remake with its disappointing PC port, and putting the multiplayer title on ice, the studio seems to be off to a severely underwhelming start this generation. 

Related Content To Read Up On:

• Naughty Dog Firing Contract Workers; The Last Of Us Multiplayer Title “Is On Ice At This Point”
• Rumor: The Last Of Us Multiplayer Spin-Off Has Been Declared “Dead”
• The Last Of Us Part 1 Joins The Party Of Disappointing PC Ports

The other thing regarding Christian Gyrling leaving Naughty Dog is that it appears to be unusual. Not only was the co-vice president celebrating his 16 years of service at the studio, but they were also looking forward to more.

While that may come off as a formality, it’s worth noting that Druckmann appointed Gyrling as the Head of Technology in July of this year while stating how they’ll take the team to “new heights in innovation and technical solutions.” Fast forward a few months later and the studio announces their departure.

As the layoff race continues throughout the industry, we don’t know who is going to choose the exit or get shown to it next. What we do know is that 2023 has been a sad year for the video game industry.