Naughty Dog's "No Crunch" Era Didn't Last; Intergalactic Devs Are on Crunch Mode

New reports suggest that Naughty Dog has been enforcing mandatory overtime while working on its next PS5 exclusive, Intergalactic: The heretic Prophet. The claim is based on Bloomberg reporting from journalist Jason Schreier, citing anonymous sources inside the studio

The short version

• Mandatory overtime has reportedly been in effect.
• The aim was to get the project “back on track”.
• A demo was reportedly finalised this week, ahead of a Sony review.

And yes, this is the kind of “crunch” players have heard about for years: longer hours to hit a milestone, often at the worst possible time of year.

Why the studio is pushing now

The report says the team needed to prepare a demo because Sony is set to review Naughty Dog’s progress “in the near future”. The implication is simple: if you’re behind schedule and a big check-in is coming, pressure goes up fast.

What the report specifically mentions

• The project has missed “several” deadlines up to now.
• The overtime period reportedly ran from late October until now.
• Working hours are expected to return closer to normal after the holidays.

If you’ve been following Naughty Dog, this sort of story lands with extra weight. The studio’s output is usually excellent. But the “how” has been criticised before.

What this could mean for the mid-2027 target

Push Square says Intergalactic is reportedly targeting a mid-2027 release. The game was first announced at The Game Awards 2024, and we’ve seen very little since.

Where things stand (publicly)

• It’s a PS5 exclusive (as currently described in the reporting).
• There’s a mid-2027 target being talked about.
• There’s been almost nothing shown since the initial reveal.

For players in the UAE, the practical takeaway is boring but real: don’t plan your next PS5 purchase around Intergalactic landing “soon”. If you’re hardware-shopping now, you’re buying for what exists today. (This guide may help: which PS5 you should buy in the UAE.)

The bigger issue: crunch isn’t “just overtime”

The reporting notes that some employees are concerned crunch could return “with a vengeance” later in the dev cycle. And Naughty Dog has been criticised for crunch before, including during The Last of Us Part II.

Why people react strongly to these reports

• Crunch can mean long hours for weeks, not a one-off late night.
• It can hit hardest near holidays, when people are already stretched.
• If a studio has a history here, trust is harder to rebuild.

If you want something lighter while you wait (and, you know, without worrying about release calendars), here’s a good one: how to play The Last of Us Part II Remastered in chronological order.

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