UPDATE: Kotaku has gotten confirmation from Sony about Bruce Stanley:
“Bruce recently decided to take some much deserved time off after shipping two critically acclaimed games in the last few years. He’s looking forward to returning to the studio soon and jumping back in on his next project.”
With The Last of Us Part II being revealed for the first time at PlayStation Experience, the rumors begin. Sources have told Kotaku that Bruce Straley, who co-directed The Last of Us and Uncharted 4, will not have the same role on The Last of Us 2. Instead, His longtime creative partner Neil Druckmann is directing the game.
Sources have said,  is that Straley is on a yearlong sabbatical. Sony and Naughty Dog did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Bruce Straley, who has been at Naughty Dog for nearly two decades, had previously directed The Last of Us alongside Druckmann.
So whether these sources are correct or not we expect The Last of Us 2 to be a great game in the series as Neil Druckmann has experience with Naught Dog in the past. It’s not like they are bringing in someone random onto the game.
The Last of Us Part 2 was announced at PlayStation Experience 2016, December 3rd. We learned that you will be playing Ellie as she is now 19 years old and Joel is back as well. The game has been in development since mid 2014.
Source: Kotaku