Naughty Dog reportedly instituted mandatory overtime for several weeks during the development of its new intellectual property, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, according to sources familiar with the situation. The additional workload was tied to the completion of an internal demo intended for a scheduled review with Sony.
Seven Weeks of Mandatory Overtime
The reported overtime period lasted approximately seven weeks. During that time, staff were asked to contribute roughly eight or more extra hours per week. Employees were also required to log their additional hours in an internal tracking spreadsheet and attend the office five days a week, rather than the studio’s usual three-day in-office schedule.
Sources indicated that while the overtime was mandatory, employees were instructed not to exceed 60 hours of work per week.
Purpose and End of the Crunch Period
The mandatory overtime was reportedly implemented to ensure the internal demo was ready ahead of a Sony review milestone. Once the demo was completed and delivered, the overtime requirement was lifted for most staff members, suggesting the measure was tied directly to that specific deadline rather than ongoing production needs.
Concerns Over Early Development Crunch
What has raised particular concern is the timing. Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is not expected to release until 2027 at the earliest, making this instance of mandatory crunch unusually early in the project’s development cycle. Industry observers and developers have questioned whether early schedule pressure could signal larger workload issues later in production.
Naughty Dog’s History With Crunch
Naughty Dog has a well-documented history of crunch-related burnout and post-launch staff attrition following previous projects. In response to past criticism, the studio previously hired additional producers to improve scheduling and reduce overtime. However, multiple reports suggest that many of those hires have since left the company, raising questions about the long-term effectiveness of those changes.
No Official Comment From Sony or Naughty Dog
The situation was reported by journalist Jason Schreier. Both Sony and Naughty Dog declined to comment on the report when contacted, offering no clarification or response regarding the alleged overtime practices.
Industry Context and Public Visibility
The report surfaced amid growing scrutiny of long development cycles at major studios. Despite anticipation around Intergalactic, fans only received a reveal trailer, with no additional footage or updates shown during the 2025 Game Awards. Similar reports surrounding other high-profile projects have recently prompted public responses from developers, highlighting increasing pressure across the industry to address crunch culture more transparently.
As development on Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet continues, the situation has reignited broader discussions around workload management, sustainability, and whether early intervention can prevent more severe crunch closer to release.
