Award-Winning PlayStation Studio Faces Crunch Concerns for 2027 Title

🎮 Early Development Raises Red Flags

A recent industry report has sparked concern around Naughty Dog’s next major project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The game, which represents a brand-new IP from the studio behind Uncharted and The Last of Us, is reportedly still years away from release. Despite that long runway, developers were allegedly asked to work mandatory overtime to complete an internal demo.

The news has drawn attention because crunch—extended periods of overtime—is usually associated with the final stretch of development, not the early or mid-production phases. For a project targeting a potential 2027 launch, the timing has raised eyebrows across the gaming community.

⏱️ Mandatory Overtime for Internal Milestones

According to reporting from industry sources, the studio required developers to log additional hours for several weeks in order to meet an internal review deadline. Staff members were reportedly asked to work well beyond normal schedules, logging extra hours to ensure the demo was ready for evaluation.

While there were limits in place on total weekly hours, employees were required to be on-site more frequently than usual. The overtime period has since ended for many team members now that the internal milestone has passed, but the situation still left an impression due to how early it occurred in the project’s lifecycle.

🧠 A History That Adds Context

This report carries extra weight because Naughty Dog has faced criticism over crunch in the past. Following the release of The Last of Us Part II, multiple accounts described burnout and staff departures linked to prolonged overtime during development.

The studio has previously taken steps to address these issues, including expanding production teams and adjusting workflows. However, sources suggest some of those efforts may not have fully resolved the underlying challenges, especially as development scales up on ambitious new projects.

🌌 Why the Timing Matters

What makes this situation stand out is the lack of a confirmed release date and the expectation that Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet is still several years away. Crunch typically intensifies when a launch window is locked in, so seeing it surface now has led to concerns about whether development pressures could escalate later on.

The broader industry has been increasingly vocal about sustainable work environments, making early reports like this especially notable. Developers and players alike are paying closer attention to how studios manage timelines, expectations, and employee well-being.

🏁 Final Thoughts

While Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet remains one of the most intriguing upcoming PlayStation projects, reports of early crunch highlight ongoing challenges within large-scale game development. With years still to go before release, many will be watching closely to see whether Naughty Dog can balance creative ambition with healthier production practices moving forward.