Naughty Dog: Video game developer Naughty Dog is reportedly cutting around 25 contracted developers, according to a report by Kotaku. The cuts are said to be affecting departments across the studio, including art, production, and quality assurance testing. Full-time staff do not appear to be affected.
Naughty Dog is a first-party studio for Sony Interactive Entertainment, and is known for developing some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful video games of all time, including The Last of Us, Uncharted, and Crash Bandicoot.
The news of the layoffs comes at a time when the video game industry is facing a number of challenges, including the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the rising cost of game development, and the increasing competition from streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.
It is unclear what the specific reasons are for the layoffs at Naughty Dog, but it is possible that the studio is looking to reduce costs or to streamline its operations.
The layoffs are also a reminder of the precarious nature of employment in the video game industry. Many game developers work on a contract basis, which means that they can be laid off at any time, especially if a project is canceled or delayed.
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The layoffs at Naughty Dog are also a sign of the wider challenges facing the video game industry. As the industry continues to grow and evolve, it is likely that more studios will be forced to make difficult decisions about their staff and their projects.
It is important to note that Naughty Dog is still a very successful studio, and is working on a number of exciting projects, including a new The Last of Us game. However, the layoffs are a reminder that even the biggest and best studios are not immune to the challenges facing the video game industry.