Sony apologizes after completely botching interview with Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann

Sony has retracted an interview it published with Naughty Dog boss Neil Druckmann after falsifying statements he made on topics such as animation, writing, AI, and upcoming projects.

The interview was shared last week to promote Sony's new 'Creative Entertainment Vision' and made headlines after Druckmann appeared to suggest AI technology would "revolutionize" game development. It was also claimed he said Naughty Dog's next project could "redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming."

With the interview drawing scrutiny, Druckmann hopped on X to explain his "words, context, and intent" were "unfortunately lost" during the editing process. He then shared a screenshot of his "long rambling answer" to provide a clearer picture of what was actually said.

Notably, that screenshot indicates Sony didn't simply edit Druckmann's answers—but actually penned completely new statements that were attributed to him.

A juicy, and completely inaccurate, quote

It appears Druckmann never claimed his next project would "redefine mainstream perceptions of gaming," but Sony went ahead and slapped that juicy quote into the exchange anyway.

Druckmann didn't highlight additional errors at the time, but Sony's latest statement and subsequent retraction indicates there were even more inaccuracies.

"In re-reviewing our recent interview with Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann, we have found several significant errors and inaccuracies that don't represent his perspective and values (including topics such as animation, writing, technology, AI, and future projects)," reads a statement that has now replaced the interview.

"We apologize to Neil for misrepresenting his words and for any negative impact this interview might have caused him and his team. In coordination with Naughty Dog and SIE, we have removed the interview."