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<p>Staff at Naughty Dog have reportedly been navigating a period of mandatory overtime for nearly two months, striving to complete an internal demonstration for their ambitious bounty hunter project, *Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet*, by mid-December.</p>
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<p>A recent <a data-analytics-id="inline-link" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-12-18/sony-s-naughty-dog-studio-orders-employee-overtime-on-intergalactic" target="_blank">report from Bloomberg</a> reveals that team members at the studio behind *The Last of Us* have been instructed to log at least eight extra hours per week since October. This push is intended to prepare the project for a milestone review by Sony, the studio's parent company, following reports that the *Intergalactic* team has missed several internal targets.</p>
<p>This level of intensive overtime—frequently criticized in the gaming world as "crunch"—has become a lightning rod for controversy as developers increasingly demand better work-life balance. Naughty Dog itself has long been associated with these grueling practices. However, the studio attempted to pivot in 2024, when QA lead Patrick Goss noted that the company was actively trying to shed its reputation for crunch, asserting, "It’s something we’re not going to do anymore."</p>
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<figcaption class="inline-layout"><span class="credit">(Image credit: Naughty Dog)</span></figcaption>
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<p>Studio co-head Neil Druckmann echoed this sentiment, publicly stating that Naughty Dog's definitive aim was to eliminate crunch from its production pipeline entirely.</p>
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<p>Despite these promises, developers on *Intergalactic* have reportedly been asked to return to the office full-time, replacing a previously established three-day hybrid model. While there is a current cap of 60 working hours per week, Bloomberg notes that this represents Naughty Dog’s first mandatory overtime stint in several years. This shift was preceded by a somewhat grim symbolic gesture: team members were given commemorative metal coins earlier this year featuring a quote from the game: "The suffering of generations must be endured to achieve our divine end."</p>
<p>While this current "pinch" may be temporary, industry observers express concern that pressure could mount again as the game moves toward its rumored mid-2027 launch window.</p>
<p><em>Even if Intergalactic’s journey takes a little longer, the prospect of a new cinematic epic from Naughty Dog remains one of the most anticipated events in gaming.</em></p>
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Source: gamesradar.com
