Schreier: Naughty Dog Enforces Mandatory Overtime Amidst Intergalactic Demo Crunch

Employees at **Naughty Dog** have been putting in overtime for nearly two months to complete the demo for the action-adventure game **Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet**. This situation is detailed by journalist **Jason Schreier**.

According to the reporter, after missing several deadlines, **Naughty Dog** rushed to prepare a presentation of **Intergalactic** for **Sony**. In late October, mandatory overtime was implemented at the studio, requiring each employee to work at least eight additional hours per week and log these hours in a spreadsheet, with a maximum cap of 60 working hours per week.

Moreover, **Naughty Dog** increased the number of in-office workdays from three to five. As a result, some employees struggled to manage childcare and pet care responsibilities.

The announcement trailer.

**Naughty Dog** has faced crunch periods before; for example, the team experienced significant crunch while developing **The Last of Us Part II**. After the game’s release, the company assembled a new team of producers to alleviate employee workload. However, according to **Schreier’s** sources, many of these producers have since left the studio.

For several years, **Naughty Dog** managed to avoid extensive overtime, but this changed in 2024 when the studio was preparing the trailer for **The Heretic Prophet** for its debut at The Game Awards. The game’s release is slated for mid-2027, and some employees are concerned that crunch times may worsen.

Most employees finished their mandatory overtime this week, as work on the demo has concluded. Management promises to restore the standard schedule of three office days by the end of January, with a new schedule for 2026 to be revealed after the holidays.

Earlier this year, the creators of **Intergalactic** received metal coins featuring the **Naughty Dog** logo and a quote from the game’s trailer: *“The suffering of generations must be overcome to reach our divine goal.”* As noted by **Schreier**, these words aptly reflect the current work culture at the studio.