After 17 years, Naughty Dog’s Head of Technology, Christian Gyrling is leaving the studio, with a fellow colleague of his taking his position.
Naughty Dog made the surprise announcement on X, confirming Gyrling departure. Travis Mcintosh, a 19-year veteran at Naughty Dog, will be filling Gyrling’s position at the studio.
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) November 10, 2023
“Our head of technology Christian Gyrling has decided to leave Naughty Gog after an amazing 17-year career at our studio. We’re grateful for his many contributions to the studio, our games, and his teammates. We will miss Christian Greatly and wish him the best of luck on where his path leads next. Travis Mcintosh, a 19-year veteran at Naughty Dog, will succeed Christian as head of technology.”
Christian Gyrling started his journey at Naughty Dog as a programmer in 2006, moving up the ranks to eventually Vice President in 2020. He transitioned into the Head of Technology back in July of this year. Christian has yet to release any comment on either X or LinkedIn on where he might be going next.
Travis Mcintosh, who has been at the studio since 2004 as Programming Director, will now be the studio’s Head of Technology. No statement has been posted by him either on the matter.
This news comes at a rather interesting time, as the industry is experiencing widespread layoffs, with Naughty Dog reportedly having some, too. While it’s common for people to leave a company after years of commitment, one does have to wonder if this is just a coincidence or if there’s something more to it. Many key figures from PlayStation, including CEO Jim Ryan, who’s retiring next year, and Head of Production, Connie Booth (reportedly fired) are among the few top figures to leave the company, and Bungie was also hit with layoffs recently.
Let’s hope we’re nearing the end of departures and layoffs for the gaming industry.