Former Naughty Dog President Evan Wells To Be Inducted Into AIAS Hall Of Fame
The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) has officially announced that Evan Wells, the influential former president of Naughty Dog, will be the newest inductee into the AIAS Hall of Fame. Wells, a veteran whose career spans more than 30 years in video games, will formally receive the honor during the 29th annual D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony, scheduled for February 12.
Wells’ distinguished tenure began long before his nearly 25 years at Naughty Dog, with early roles including design work on *ToeJam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron* and serving as lead designer on *Gex: Enter the Gecko*. After joining Naughty Dog in 1998, he was instrumental in the success of early titles like *Crash Bandicoot: Warped* and the *Jak and Daxter* trilogy.
However, his greatest legacy cemented after he became co-president in 2004, guiding the studio into the modern era as they developed groundbreaking hits such as the *Uncharted* and *The Last of Us* franchises. Wells, who became sole president in 2017 before retiring in 2023, also brought his production experience to the silver screen, serving as executive producer for both the *Uncharted* film and HBO’s celebrated adaptation of *The Last of Us*. Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog studio head, emphasized the importance of this recognition, stating that the studio’s ability to create incredible games was due to Wells’ “unwavering leadership and the trust he placed in all of us.”