Naughty Dog has concluded a period of mandatory overtime and increased office attendance required to finalize a demo for its upcoming sci-fi game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The crunch, starting in late October 2025 to address missed deadlines, echoes the studio's history of intense work practices.
Following a Bloomberg report, Naughty Dog mandated at least eight extra hours per week (capped at 60 total) and a five-day office return from its Santa Monica studio—up from three days—for most staff on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. This strained some employees' child and pet care arrangements but ended this week after the demo was completed for Sony review. The office policy reverts to three days in January 2026.
Unveiled at the 2024 Game Awards with a trailer featuring bounty hunter Jordan A. Mun (voiced by Tati Gabrielle), the game—Naughty Dog's first new IP in years—is targeted for mid-2027 PS5 release. Studio head Neil Druckmann called it the team's most ambitious project in March, exploring themes of faith and religion. To mark the milestone, staff reportedly received engraved metal coins quoting the game: "The suffering of generations must be endured to achieve our divine end."
The studio, known for The Last of Us and Uncharted, faced similar backlash during The Last of Us Part II's 2020 crunch, leading to burnout and departures. Despite hiring anti-crunch producers in 2021 (many since left) and public commitments to better well-being, developers fear worsening overtime near launch. Druckmann noted in 2020: "They're gonna work very hard... but I don't think we could prevent them from working hard and still make the kind of games we make." Co-president Evan Wells added in 2021 that strict 40-hour limits would frustrate staff.
Sony and Naughty Dog have not commented. The incident fuels ongoing industry debates on crunch at high-profile studios, with Naughty Dog maintaining multiple teams (one possibly on The Last of Us Part III).
