A former developer at Naughty Dog has shared that the studio views intense periods of overtime – often called “crunch” – as simply part of delivering their high-quality games. Crunch, where developers feel pressured to work extremely long hours to meet deadlines, has been a long-standing problem in the game industry, and it appears to be continuing. According to this source, Naughty Dog has come to accept crunch as unavoidable.
The studio behind popular games like Uncharted and The Last of Us, owned by Sony, isn’t the only game developer known for requiring employees to work overtime – often called ‘crunch.’ However, it has gained a reputation for this practice due to several well-publicized instances. Recently, reports surfaced that the team working on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet was already working long hours, even though the game isn’t expected to release for over a year. Now, a former employee with inside knowledge of the studio’s work culture is explaining why this might be happening.
Naughty Dog Reportedly Stopped Trying to Mitigate Crunch After The Last of Us
Besnon Russell, a former senior game designer at Naughty Dog, shared on the Kiwi Talkz podcast that the studio ultimately resigned itself to long periods of intense work, or ‘crunch,’ after several attempts to avoid it. Russell explained that the team discussed ways to prevent crunch, but after developing The Last of Us, leadership acknowledged that such demanding work was considered essential for creating games of their quality. Naughty Dog is known for consistently releasing highly-rated games, but it appears the studio believes extreme overtime is a necessary component of that success.
A former Naughty Dog developer believes that crunch, like what recently happened with Intergalactic, often starts because studios treat their own internal goals the same as strict deadlines imposed by publishers. While this can help keep development on schedule, it creates more pressure and leads to increased overtime, especially early in the process. Russell also suggested that Sony’s management might contribute to this, as they may be eager to see results after investing significant time and money into long-term, high-budget projects like those typically made at Naughty Dog.
Russell didn’t express any resentment towards Naughty Dog regarding this issue, stating they understood if employees chose to leave due to the work environment. He explained that while the studio doesn’t require overtime, it strongly encourages it through bonuses linked to project contributions. Although many believe this intense work period is unavoidable, it doesn’t happen with every Naughty Dog game. One developer noted that The Last of Us Part 1 (2022) was developed without any crunch, though this appears to be unusual.
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Crunch – periods of intense, mandatory overtime – remains a sensitive topic, and Naughty Dog’s practices are likely to draw criticism. If their upcoming game, Intergalactic, is as expensive as Neil Druckmann suggests, the pressure to work long hours to finish it could be even greater. While the full scope of development isn’t known yet, it appears that crunch will continue to be a part of Naughty Dog’s process.
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2026-04-13 22:43