Naughty Dog's The Last of Us Part II has had quite a controversial development cycle. The long-awaited sequel has received numerous delays after years of development, all while developer Naughty Dog has been the subject of poor working conditions and damaging "crunch periods" that harm its own employees. Today, yet another controversy arose in the form of massive story leaks. An unknown source has leaked major portions of The Last of Us II, with footage of pre-release cutscenes that reveal important elements of the game's plot. We won't spoil anything here but try to avoid them-- these leaks spoil most of the game, specifically important twists and character beats that definitely should be saved for the actual experience.
Fans of the franchise who have seen the leaks have expressed their distaste all over the web, with much of the criticism aimed at the shocking, even upsetting plot twists that were revealed. However, the leaks have also shined a light on Naughty Dog's harmful work environment, as the leaker is rumored to be a disgruntled former employee who spoiled the unfinished game out of spite. This rumor has shifted the conversation from the leaks themselves to the leaker's potential motivation. It's not a good look for Naughty Dog, nor does it paint any major development studio in a good light, as "crunch time" is already a maligned industry practice.
For the unfamiliar, development crunch time is an ongoing trend in the video game industry. Studios rush to meet release dates, and it always comes at the expense of employees' health and personal lives. Crunch time leads to long work hours, often unfair payment, and many, many layoffs. Naughty Dog's crunch conditions came to light in March via Kotaku, which describes a workplace almost as bleak as the game in question. The studio downplays their crunch time publicly while the Kotaku piece reports accusations of poor morale, extremely high turnover, and work hours often so late that employees were nearly injured in an office construction accident-- the work crew didn't think that developers would still be in the building.
Only months later and months out from a release comes today's leak-- which, if the rumors are true, only came as a form of revenge against Naughty Dog's poor treatment of its employees. If proven true, major developers should begin to worry. Such damaging spoilers can and will hurt release sales, especially amidst COVID-19 business closures, where physical game sales have all but halted. Even digital purchases can be affected by such a controversy as media piracy skyrockets during social distancing measures. This level of controversy could inspire other disgruntled employees to spite their employers, especially since crunch time is such a common practice in the industry.
Again, this is all just a rumor, and while worker's rights are paramount in situations like this, leaking a game isn't necessarily the noble way to advocate for them. Sure, it might work against the company, but it also detracts from the hard work of other overworked employees. Journalist Jason Schrier, who wrote Kotaku's Naughty Dog piece last month, tweeted in response to today's leak, stating that this "just hurts the people who were in the trenches with you" and that organization is necessary to make real change in the workplace. The leak's aftereffects are unfortunate for those who also suffered at Naughty Dog as well, now seeing their work criticized and judged out of context.
However, even if this rumor proves false and the leak has nothing to do with a former employee, it makes a compelling statement to major development studios against crunch periods. The Last of Us is a beloved franchise, and even Naughty Dog is a well-regarded developer. Although sales will be the real test to see what damage was done, Naughty Dog is currently in the middle of a PR nightmare that can happen to any development studio. Developers should treat their employees with respect and make sure consumers know it-- or they risk repeating a controversy like this.
Naughty Dog addressed the controversy on Twitter with a brief message to fans, expressing disappointment and reassuring that game is on its way. Sony also released an update regarding The Last of Us II, announcing the game's official summer release date after an indefinite delay. It's unclear if the release date announcement has anything to do with today's leaks, but the fact remains that these have angered fans, and not just because of spoilers. The video game industry needs to end crunch culture, and whether the leaker wanted to expose it or not, they certainly succeeded in stirring things up.
The Last of Us II launches for PlayStation 4 on June 19, 2020.