A recent report indicates Naughty Dog has already begun mandating overtime for its next major project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. Employees were required to work an extra eight hours weekly since late October to complete an internal demo for Sony, not for public release. Staff were also called back to the office full-time during this period.
The game remains scheduled for a mid 2027 launch, but this early crunch period worries developers about the rest of the production cycle. This pattern echoes known issues within the studio and across the AAA industry regarding unsustainable workloads. Leadership, including Neil Druckmann, had previously faced criticism and promised changes to these practices.
The mandated overtime reportedly ended for most of the team recently, with normal schedules resuming in January. However, starting such intense periods years before a game's completion suggests the studio may still rely on crunch as development progresses into its final, typically demanding phases. The team will receive a new schedule after the holiday break.
The game remains scheduled for a mid 2027 launch, but this early crunch period worries developers about the rest of the production cycle. This pattern echoes known issues within the studio and across the AAA industry regarding unsustainable workloads. Leadership, including Neil Druckmann, had previously faced criticism and promised changes to these practices.
The mandated overtime reportedly ended for most of the team recently, with normal schedules resuming in January. However, starting such intense periods years before a game's completion suggests the studio may still rely on crunch as development progresses into its final, typically demanding phases. The team will receive a new schedule after the holiday break.
