The Initiative snags Lead Animator from Naughty Dog

We still don't know what the Xbox Game Studios developer The Initiative is working on currently, other than the fact that Microsoft calls it a AAA title and that it is heavily rumored to be Perfect Dark related somehow. Something we do know though is that it has been hiring top talent from the industry's greatest studios during the last two years - and now we can add two more names to that list who started this month.

First and foremost, it is Lee Davis from Naughty Dog. He was credited as Head of Melee Animation for The Last of Us: Part II, but was also involved as Animator in The Last of Us, Uncharted 2 and Uncharted 4. His new title at The Initiative is Lead Gameplay Animator, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The second name is also from Naughty Dog and that is the The Last of Us: Part II Character Shading Technical Director, Laurent Manuel García Carro, who also worked on The Last of Us, Uncharted 2 and Uncharted 4. Laurent's title at The Initiative is Senior Shader Technologies.

Whatever The Initiative is working on, it seems like we can expect really good animations and great shading technology, if Naughty Dog's latest titles are anything to judge by.

Thanks Klobrille