Arabic
A new report published by journalist Jason Schreyer via Bloomberg has revealed that Naughty Dog is currently imposing overtime on developers working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in a move that has raised internal concerns about working conditions during the current phase of development.
According to the report, the studio known for series such as The Last of Us and Uncharted began requiring its employees to work a minimum of eight additional hours per week, recorded on official timesheets, to make up for time lost due to missed deadlines.
Schreyer explained that these extra hours were imposed in preparation for an impending review of the beta version of the game by Sony, and although management emphasized that the workweek should not exceed 60 hours, this increase is still considered mandatory rather than optional.
Employees were also required to return to work from the office 5 days a week during this period, up from the previous 3 days. This decision caused confusion for some workers, especially those who had to find alternative arrangements for child or pet care.
A number of employees who spoke on the condition of anonymity expressed concern that these pressures could escalate in the coming months as the release date for Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is still relatively far away, with the game scheduled for release in mid-2027, some 18 months away.
The report noted that mandatory overtime at this early stage of development raises questions about whether working conditions will worsen as the release date approaches. Schreyer concluded the report by noting that Sony and Naughty Dog declined to comment officially on the allegations at the time of publication.
These reports bring back the debate about the culture of pressure and long working hours in the game industry, especially within major studios, and its impact on the health of developers and the quality of production in the long run.
