Mandatory overtime has reportedly reared its head at Naughty Dog studio, with workers spending a minimum of eight hours a week over their normal schedules. The news comes from Bloomberg, which reports that the overtime period is being imposed to “get the production back on track after several missed deadlines,” on far-future action title Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.
While Naughty Dog didn’t comment on the story, staffers speaking anonymously confirmed that the company is tracking the extra hours on an internal spreadsheet. Workers were called in to the physical office five days a week during the overtime period (up from three), causing havok for employees who needed to make last-minute family arrangements. Employees were also told not to exceed 60 hours per week.
Working like a (Naughty) Dog
While the studio has a sterling reputation for its output (including the Uncharted and The Last of Us series), the piece also notes its sometimes-unhealthy work culture. A sea change (with a new assembly of producers) was introduced in 2021, but many of those producers have reportedly since left Naughty Dog.
Management has communicated that the work week will return to three days in-office, and most staff are finished with the mandatory overtime period, though the company “said it plans to provide a more detailed schedule for 2026 after the holiday break.”
