Naughty Dog, the studio behind The Last of Us and Uncharted, is back in “crunch mode“. According to sources, employees were recently required to work mandatory overtime, up to 60 hours a week, to finalize a demo for their next game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
The studio asked staff to log at least eight extra hours a week starting late October, with the overtime period ending this week for most employees. The demo is now complete, and Naughty Dog has returned to a normal office schedule. However, the studio has not commented publicly on the situation.
Could This Mean a New Reveal?
Overtime is often a sign that a studio is pushing to get something polished before some sort of massive reveal. In this case, it could hint at a new trailer or reveal in the near future. The game is still planned for a 2027 release, but some employees reportedly wonder if more overtime will happen later in the development cycle.
The studio has a long history of high-intensity work culture. The video game industry is slowly moving away from mandatory overtime, but this recent push shows Naughty Dog is committed to keeping Intergalactic on track.
Members of the production team also recently received metal coins featuring a quote from the game’s trailer: “The suffering of generations must be endured to achieve our divine end.” Looks like the overtime is real, even outside the game world.
One thing is clear: Naughty Dog might be cooking up something really exciting for 2026, and it is all linked to Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet! We will definitely be keeping a close eye on this one, since it is one of our most-awaited games!
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Source: Bloomberg Article
