Thanks to a new report by Jason Schreier of Kotaku, Naughty Dog are facing some a major crunch period to finish The Last of Us Part II.
In the piece which features interviews with 13 current and former staff members, the team face 12-hour work days including weekends during these crunch times. It’s been going on for so long and is so prevalent that 70% of non-lead designers who worked on Uncharted 4 are no longer with the company. One former employee said:
“They do try to take care of you, providing food, encouragement to go take breaks, but for the most part, the implication is: ‘Get the job done at all costs.’”
Another current employee stated:
“This can’t be something that’s continuing over and over for each game, because it is unsustainable. At a certain point you realize, ‘I can’t keep doing this. I’m getting older. I can’t stay and work all night.’”
Kotaku notes that a representative for Sony and Naughty Dog turned down interview requests with studio management and declined to provide comment.
