Naughty Dog is forcing the developers working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet to work overtime. This, according to a new report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier.
In a story published on Thursday afternoon, Schreier states that the studio behind games like The Last of Us and Uncharted has “been pushing its staff to work long hours to get ready for an upcoming review of the demo by its parent company.”
It’s said that requests began in October for staff to work at least eight extra hours per week with it being logged via spreadsheet. This was done to make up for time lost due to missed deadlines.
“The employees were instructed not to work more than 60 hours a week,” Schreier writes. “Staff were also told to return to the office five days a week for this period, up from three previously, sending some employees scrambling to find alternative care arrangements for children and pets.”
Those who spoke to Schreier under the condition of anonymity are worried that, if there’s already mandatory overtime over 18 months away from release, it might get worse in the coming months. As of writing, Intergalactic is scheduled to release in mid-2027.
Sony and Naughty Dog also declined to comment on the claims.
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Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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None of the anti AI anti crunch woke talent agency influencers are calling this out or calling to boycott the game? If this flops does Sony close Naughty Dog? They seem lost.