Neil Druckmann

Neil Druckmann is an Israeli–American writer, creative director, and video game designer born December 5, 1978. He serves as studio head and head of creative at Naughty Dog, the developer behind two of gaming's most acclaimed franchises.

Druckmann joined Naughty Dog as an intern before becoming a programmer on Jak 3 (2004) and Jak X: Combat Racing (2005). He transitioned to design and narrative on Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (2007), then co-led Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (2009) as designer and co-writer alongside Amy Hennig and Josh Scherr; the game's storytelling earned widespread recognition. He expanded into comics, penning the motion comic Uncharted: Eye of Indra (2009) and graphic novels including The Last of Us: American Dreams (2013).

His career accelerated with co-leading The Last of Us (2013), which he co-created, and Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (2016), co-written with Josh Scherr. While directing The Last of Us Part II (2020), co-written with Halley Gross, he was promoted to vice president in 2018. He became co-president in 2020, head of creative in 2023, and studio head in 2024. Beyond games, Druckmann co-created and wrote the HBO television adaptation of The Last of Us with Craig Mazin, directing multiple episodes.

He earned three British Academy Games Awards, four D.I.C.E. Awards, two Game Awards, three Game Developers Choice Awards, and four Writers Guild of America Awards, largely for The Last of Us, Uncharted 4, and The Last of Us Part II—games frequently ranked among the best-written in the medium. His upcoming project is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which he is directing and co-writing with Claire Carré. Born under Sagittarius, he embodies the sign's drive to expand horizons; his Life Path 33 suggests a master teacher reshaping narrative in interactive media.