Workplace Crunch at Naughty Dog
Former Naughty Dog designer Benson Russell has opened up about the studio's culture of crunch during development on titles like The Last of Us and Uncharted. In a recent interview with Kiwi Talkz, he reflected on how the studio came to view long hours as a necessary element for creating games at their acclaimed level.
Russell, who left Naughty Dog in 2015 after an eight-year tenure, detailed the evolution of the studio's attitude towards crunch. He noted that the situation only worsened since the release of Uncharted 1, saying, "From Uncharted 1, only got worse." Although leadership attempted to mitigate crunch in the early 2010s by instituting guidelines to limit work hours, he explained that when deadlines loomed, these rules often fell by the wayside.
After the release of The Last of Us, Naughty Dog's management candidly acknowledged that crunch was an unavoidable aspect of their development process. According to Russell, during meetings, it became clear: "Well, we’ve just come to realize this is what it takes to make games at our level." He added that employees were informed that if they didn’t want to participate in crunch, the studio would provide them with a positive letter of recommendation.
Russell also highlighted the lack of legal repercussions related to this culture, stating, "The company runs the way it wants to run. You either want to be a part of it, or you don’t." He pointed out that while there was no formal requirement to work extra hours, the potential for larger bonuses served as an incentive for employees to participate in the crunch culture.
Retention rates at Naughty Dog have fluctuated, according to Russell. He recalled that during the development of Uncharted 4, some employees left, but it was around the time of The Last of Us Part 2 when many more started to depart. Russell's own choice to leave stemmed partly from a lack of career advancement opportunities, but crunch culture played a significant role in his decision as well.
He shared his personal experience of working extensive hours, sometimes totaling "multiple months of seven-day weeks" with shifts lasting 12 to 14 hours. While flex hours were initially in place to maintain some balance, he noted that during crunch periods, those guidelines often ceased to exist.
As anticipation builds for Naughty Dog's upcoming project, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, the studio remains a topic of discussion in the gaming community. Recent reports indicate that the studio has been requiring employees to work a minimum of eight extra hours weekly to meet internal deadlines. Furthermore, rumors suggest that a sequel to The Last of Us may be in the works, alongside speculation about another Uncharted title.
