Neil Druckmann (
Hebrew: ניל דרוקמן; born December 5, 1978) is an Israeli-American writer, creative director, designer, and programmer. He has been co-president (alongside
Evan Wells) of the video game developer
Naughty Dog since 2020 and head of creative since 2023, and is best known for his work on the game franchises Uncharted and The Last of Us, having co-created the latter.
Neil Druckmann was born into a
Jewish family[1] in
Tel Aviv, Israel, on December 5, 1978,[2][3] the son of Yehudit (Judith) and Jerry Ilan Druckmann.[4][5] His father is a former flight test engineer at
Israel Aerospace Industries.[5] Druckmann's family lived in
Ramat Aviv until 1981, when they moved to
Beit Aryeh,[5][6] a
settlement in the
West Bank, where Druckmann recalled violence was a frequent topic on the news and in conversations at home.[7] As an escape, his older brother Emanuel introduced him to comic books, video games, and movies at a young age.[7][8] These forms of entertainment, particularly video games by
Sierra Entertainment and
LucasArts,[3] helped him learn English.[9] He became interested in storytelling and wrote his own comic books.[8]
Druckmann moved to the United States with his family in 1989, attending middle school and high school in
Miami, Florida.[3] He began to study a criminology
major at
Florida State University (FSU), aiming to get experience as an
FBI agent to use when writing
thriller novels.[2][10]: 2:16 His brother snuck him into
E3 in the late 1990s,[11] and he attended the conference again in 1998, 2000, and 2002, as well as
SIGGRAPH in 2002 and 2003.[12] As an FSU student in 2001, he won a Conker's Bad Fur Day multiplayer competition organized by
Nintendo and Playboy.[13] While studying, he worked as a clerk at
My Favorite Muffin and a salesman at
PacSun.[14] From July 2002,[12] while living in
Tallahassee,[3] Druckmann spent a year as a graphics research assistant at FSU's Visualization Lab.[10]: 5:46 [15] During this time, he and some friends began developing the game Pink-Bullet for
Linux and
Windows.[12] At one point, he wanted to be an animator, which required enlisting in art classes, but his parents forbade him from doing so.[16]
One of Druckmann's professors paid for him to attend the
Game Developers Conference (GDC) in 2003, where he attended a presentation by
Naughty Dog co-founder
Jason Rubin.[10]: 6:36 [12] After Druckmann "bugged" Rubin, the latter gave him his business card.[8] Some time later, Rubin contacted Druckmann and offered him an
intern position, a first for Naughty Dog. By the time Druckmann responded, the position had been taken.[10]: 8:02 When encouraged to apply for internships by CMU, Druckmann reached out to Rubin for advice, and was told about a new internship at the studio. He was put in contact with game director
Evan Wells, who offered him the internship after an interview at GDC. During this time, he had also been offered an intern producer position at
Electronic Arts on The Sims 2; he extended the offer in order to interview with Wells.[10]: 10:14 In around May 2004, Druckmann joined Naughty Dog as a programming intern.[8] He began working on
localization tools and gameplay programming on Jak 3 (2004). During this time, he would also offer assistance with additional design tasks. By the end of the internship in August, he was offered a full-time position by Wells and Stephen White, then co-presidents.[10]: 13:38 He received credit for the second year of his master's degree through his work at Naughty Dog,[10]: 15:10 earning the degree in 2005.[8] He programmed the menu screens on Jak X: Combat Racing (2005), which he considered one of the most difficult tasks of his career.[10]: 16:24 He continued to assist with smaller design tasks where possible.[10]: 18:33
Designer and writer (2005–2009)
During the development of Jak 3 and Jak X, Druckmann continued to ask Wells about joining the design team.[21] Wells restrained from transferring him, as he was originally employed as a programmer and lacked experience in design,[10]: 21:17 but agreed to review Druckmann's design work if he completed them in his spare time.[21] Druckmann iterated on several level designs with Wells's feedback, initially on
graph paper and later using
Adobe Illustrator.[10]: 22:02 Following the development of Jak X, Wells concluded that Druckmann was skilled in design, and gave him a design position for Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier.[10]: 22:40 Several months into development, Wells transferred Druckmann to work as a game designer on Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007), which was facing development troubles at the time;[21][10]: 26:12 High Impact Games took over work on The Lost Frontier, which was released in 2009.[22] In his position as game designer on Drake's Fortune, he worked closely with
Amy Hennig to construct the story, before working on Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) as a lead game designer, becoming more involved with the core writing of the game.[8][17]
In 2009, Druckmann worked on the motion comic Uncharted: Eye of Indra, as writer and director. A prequel to Drake's Fortune, Eye of Indra tells the story of
Nathan Drake prior to the events of the first game.[23] Druckmann's first
graphic novel, A Second Chance at Sarah, was published by Ape Entertainment in February 2010.[24] With illustrations by artist Joysuke Wong, the novel relates Druckmann's interest in traveling back in time to meet his wife at a younger age. "There's something cute and poetic about that idea," Druckmann explained.[25] He felt that he shares many similarities with the novel's protagonist Johnny, and that "a lot of Johnny's flaws and fears are based on [his] own shortcomings".[25] The comic was originally released on February 24, 2010;[26] critics particularly praised Wong's illustrations, as well as Druckmann's writing and character development.[27]
Creative director (2010–2018)
Following the development of Uncharted 2, Naughty Dog split into two teams to work on projects concurrently. With one team working on Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception (2011), co-presidents Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra chose Druckmann and
Bruce Straley to lead
development on a new game; Druckmann was chosen for his determination and talent for design.[21] Though they were originally set to develop a new game in the Jak and Daxter series, the team felt that they "weren't doing service to the fans of [the] franchise", and decided to create a new
game, titled The Last of Us.[28]
When conceiving ideas for The Last of Us, Druckmann used a concept that he created as a student at Carnegie Mellon University. His idea was to merge the gameplay of Ico (2001) in a story set during a zombie apocalypse, like that of Night of the Living Dead (1968), with a lead character similar to
John Hartigan from Sin City (1991–2000). The lead character, a police officer, would be tasked with protecting a young girl; however, due to his heart condition, players would often assume control of the young girl, reversing the roles. He based The Last of Us on this concept, replacing the police officer with
Joel, and naming the young girl
Ellie.[29] Druckmann wrote The Last of Us with the intention of having the story "rooted firmly within reality", a stark departure from Naughty Dog's previous "light and loose" feeling. "It needed to go a little darker [than Uncharted] to explore a sadder theme," he explained.[30] Prior to directing the game, Druckmann took acting classes in order to "talk to [the actors] in the same language".[17] The game was released on June 14, 2013, with praise for Druckmann's work on the story.[31] He earned numerous awards, including a
BAFTA,[32] a
D.I.C.E. Award,[33] a
Game Developers Choice Award,[34] a
Golden Joystick Award,[35] and a
Writers Guild of America Award.[36]The Last of Us is often regarded one of the best-written video games,[37][38] and one of the
greatest video games ever made.[39][40][41]
Druckmann later worked on the
downloadableexpansion packThe Last of Us: Left Behind, a prequel focusing on Ellie's relationship with her friend Riley,[42] which received critical acclaim.[43] He earned additional accolades for his work on Left Behind, including a second BAFTA[44] and Writers Guild of America Award.[45] In particular, he was praised for writing a scene involving a kiss between two female characters, which was named a "breakthrough moment" for video games.[46] He also co-wrote the four-issue comic book miniseries The Last of Us: American Dreams, with writer and artist
Faith Erin Hicks. It was published by
Dark Horse Comics, with the first issue released in April 2013,[47] and was lauded for Druckmann's writing and character development, as well as Hicks' simplistic illustrations.[48][49]
Following Hennig's departure from Naughty Dog in March 2014, it was announced that Druckmann and Straley were working on Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016) as creative director and game director respectively.[50] Initial reports claimed that Hennig was "forced out" of Naughty Dog by Druckmann and Straley, though co-presidents Evan Wells and Christophe Balestra later denied this.[51] Druckmann co-wrote the story alongside Josh Scherr;[52] Druckmann considered Scherr the "funny one", allowing him to write the humour of Uncharted 4 due to Druckmann's self-professed inability to write jokes. He appreciated the collaboration of writing on Uncharted 4, having written The Last of Us almost entirely independently.[53] The game was released on May 10, 2016, and praised for its story.[54] It was awarded Best Narrative at
The Game Awards 2016,[55] and Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing at the
69th Writers Guild of America Awards.[56] Dave Meikleham of GamesRadar+ found Uncharted 4 among the best-written video games,[37] and it is often regarded as among the greatest games.[57][58][59] Druckmann acted as head of narrative development for Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, released in August 2017.[60]
In March 2014, Sony announced that Druckmann was writing a film adaptation of The Last of Us, produced by
Sam Raimi and distributed by
Screen Gems.[61] By January 2015, he had written the script's second draft, and performed a
read-through with some actors.[62] Very little work occurred following this, as Druckmann stated in April 2016 that the film had entered
development hell,[63] and in February 2018 said "I don't want that movie to be made."[64] Druckmann worked as a playtester for What Remains of Edith Finch (2017).[65] In August 2017, he was featured as a guest judge on an episode of Face Off.[66]
Studio leadership (2018–present)
Druckmann was promoted to vice president of Naughty Dog in March 2018.[67] He returned as creative director for The Last of Us Part II (2020), co-writing the game alongside
Halley Gross;[68] Straley did not return to co-direct the game.[69] The game's themes of revenge and retribution were inspired by Druckmann's own experiences growing up in Israel, where violence was a frequent topic.[7] He specifically recalled watching footage of the
2000 Ramallah lynching, and how, after hearing the cheering crowds, his mind immediately turned to violent thoughts about bringing the perpetrators to justice;[70][71] he later felt "gross and guilty" for having these thoughts.[71] He wanted the player to feel a "thirst for revenge" before making them realize the reality of their actions.[7] Two warring factions in the game were partly inspired by the
Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the
tribalism and righteousness of some of those involved, but it was not intended as an allegory of the conflict nor an explicit depiction of both sides.[5] Druckmann noted that some members of the team felt reluctant about the game's cynicism, but ultimately he preferred a divisive story than a "mundane" one.[7]
The Last of Us Part II released on June 19, 2020, to critical acclaim.[72] The story polarized critics; some praised the writing for its nuance and effectiveness,[73][74] while others criticized its pacing and repetition of themes.[75][76] The audience backlash towards the story led to Druckmann becoming the target of online hate and death threats, which were condemned by Naughty Dog.[77] Druckmann makes a brief
cameo appearance in the game as the voice of Briggs, a Washington Liberation Front soldier.[78] An
Easter egg in the game's collectible trading cards also references Druckmann in the fictional character Doctor Uckmann.[79]The Last of Us Part II holds the record for most Game of the Year awards, surpassing previous record holder The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015).[80] For their work on the game, Druckmann and Gross
were awarded at the
D.I.C.E. Awards,[81]The Game Awards,[82]Game Developers Choice Awards,[83] Golden Joystick Awards,[84]SXSW Gaming Awards,[85] and
Titanium Awards.[86] Druckmann was also nominated at the
Visual Effects Society Awards.[87]The Last of Us Part II is often regarded as among the best-written video games,[38][88] and as among the greatest ever made.[41][89][90]
Druckmann was promoted to co-president of Naughty Dog, serving alongside Wells, on December 4, 2020.[91] He was included on the Variety500 list in December 2020, identifying the most influential business leaders in the media industry.[92] Druckmann was an executive producer on the film Uncharted (2022).[93] With
Craig Mazin, Druckmann is a writer and executive producer on the
television adaptation of The Last of Us for
HBO.[94] Druckmann directed
the second episode in October and November 2021;[95][96] he felt his experience reinforced and reflected his experience in directing games.[97] Druckmann noted the series was taking the opposite approach to adaptation than Uncharted; while Uncharted tells a new story with moments from the games to give "an Uncharted flavor", The Last of Us is a direct adaptation with minor deviations, allowing alterations such as changing character perspectives in a manner unachievable in an immersive game.[97] The series premiered in January 2023 to positive reviews;[98][99] several critics considered it the best live-action adaptation of a video game.[100][101][102] Reviewers praised the differences from the original game's narrative implemented by Mazin and Druckmann.[103][104][105] Several critics praised Druckmann's directing on the second episode;[106][107]Total Film's Russell praised Druckmann's "keen eye for beauty in this shattered world", citing a shot of a frog on a piano as a standout.[108] Druckmann was nominated for two awards and won one at the
Writers Guild of America Awards for the series.[109]
In December 2021, Druckmann presented
Game of the Year at
The Game Awards.[110][111] At
Summer Game Fest in June 2022, he revealed that he is working on a new game;[112] he later said he was assembling a
writers' room for the game, which will be "structured more like a TV show" than any of Naughty Dog's previous projects.[2] He had a cameo voice appearance in Return to Monkey Island (2022).[113] In April 2023, Druckmann wrote about
Hidetaka Miyazaki, president and game director at
FromSoftware, for Time's
list of 100 influential people, naming Miyazaki's Elden Ring (2022) "a great ambassador for video games".[114][115] In July, Wells announced he would retire from Naughty Dog by the year's end, and Druckmann became head of creative.[116] In August, Druckmann revealed he was writing and directing an unannounced game.[117] He received the Andrew Yoon Legend Award at the 13th Annual
New York Game Awards in January 2024.[118]
For
the second season of The Last of Us, Druckmann and Mazin were joined in the
writers' room by Gross and Bo Shim.[119] Druckmann is set to direct another episode in 2024, and the season is scheduled to air in 2025.[120]
Writing style
Druckmann's writing philosophy, which he realized while talking to game designer
Cory Barlog, is "simple story, complex characters"; Druckmann dislikes video games with complicated exposition, but enjoys writing complex character relationships.[53] Throughout his writing, Druckmann approaches scenes with focus on every character, attempting to enter the mindset of each one. He tries to ignore character
tropes in an attempt to write "honestly".[121] Druckmann also writes with a minimalist mindset, often asking himself "What is this scene really about? What's the least we have to say or do to convey that and no more?"[121]
Before writing The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, Druckmann and Straley created entire outlines of the stories, before exploring the narrative more intricately, discussing the "moment-to-moment beats" of each level that lead to a bigger event. They began with the middle of the story, as it is the core of the gameplay and narrative, before exploring the game's climax and character development.[53]The Frame host John Horn identified a repeating theme in Druckmann's stories, including A Second Chance at Sarah and The Last of Us, is the concept of characters attempting or hoping to alter their past in some way; Druckmann admitted he had not noticed this trend, though agreed with it and recognized its recurrence.[122][1]
"While working on The Last of Us ... I wanted to create one of the coolest, non-sexualized female protagonists, and I felt like with The Last of Us there was an opportunity here to change the industry."
Druckmann is a regular advocate of
gender equality in video games, citing
Anita Sarkeesian as an influence;[129] he presented the Ambassador Award to Sarkeesian at the 2014 Game Developers Choice Awards,[130] and regularly advocated her projects.[131] When Druckmann found that he regularly wrote about "white, straight, Christian male" characters, he was prompted to instead create more diverse characters.[1] Throughout the development of Uncharted 4, Druckmann was influenced by concept artist Ashley Swidowski to include more female characters in the game. "She is constantly challenging me and pushing for diversity in our cast", he said.[1] Upon
focus testers' criticism regarding the inclusion and portrayal of female characters in Uncharted 4, one of whom was forced to leave due to an outburst, Druckmann expressed "Wow, why does that matter?"[129]
Similarly, Ellie of The Last of Us was initially received negatively in early focus tests. Druckmann is proud that Ellie is a "strong, non-sexualized female lead character", and hoped that other developers would take similar approaches to characters without fear of unpopularity.[8] Druckmann and Straley were surprised by some of the backlash in regards to gender roles in The Last of Us, although Druckmann noted that "the more progress we make, the more those problems stand out".[132] He declared it a "misconception" that female protagonists hinder game sales,[133] evidenced by the success of The Last of Us.[132]
Personal life
Druckmann resides with his children in
Santa Monica, California, where he bought a property in 2019; his house was styled by designer
Kim Gordon.[134] He began dating his wife, Maya,[135] while he was studying his undergraduate degree.[10]: 20:34 Druckmann became a father during the development of The Last of Us,[29] and has said his daughter was a "huge inspiration" to him when writing the game.[136] He found the birth of his daughter reinforced his ideas about family, as he realized he would "do anything" for her.[1] Druckmann's son was born around 2014; he was around the same age as
Sam in
the fifth episode of The Last of Us when it aired in 2023, making its events more emotional for Druckmann.[137]: 10:19 In his spare time, Druckmann plays the guitar[134] and joins his children in playing video games such as Animal Crossing and Pokémon.[138]
Druckmann has a dent in his skull from being accidentally struck in the head with a
golf club by a friend at the age of 16, which required 30 stitches.[139] On his first day as director on The Last of Us, he suffered from headaches and began
seeing double; he discovered the following day that he required emergency eye surgery, as an infection threatened the vision in his left eye.[140] During production of The Last of Us Part II, he practiced
intermittent fasting, which is referenced in one of the game's collectible cards.[141] Early in pre-production on the television adaptation of The Last of Us, Druckmann and Mazin agreed to get matching tattoos of Ellie's switchblade if the series was successful;[142] Mazin got his tattoo in February 2023,[143] followed by Druckmann in March.[144][145]
^ימין, משה (February 20, 2015).
"מה ומי במיאמי" [What and who in Miami]. Ynet (in Hebrew).
Archived from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved July 16, 2017.
^
abcdefghijkLeFebvre, Rob (August 6, 2013).
"The Last of Us". Creative Screenwriting.
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^Shuman, Sid (April 4, 2020).
"Eternally Yours". PlayStation Blogcast (Podcast). No. 359.
Archived from the original on April 4, 2020. Retrieved April 5, 2020.
^Druckmann, Neil;
Straley, Bruce (June 2013). "Introduction". The Art of The Last of Us. United States of America:
Dark Horse Comics. p. 7.
^Druckmann, Neil;
Straley, Bruce (October 2014). "The Last of Us". In Wright, Brendan (ed.). The Art of Naughty Dog. United States of America:
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