Fans have been waiting a long time for The Last of Us 2, especially after the first game's ambiguous ending. Naughty Dog is known for being meticulous during development, and the quality generally shows in the final products, like with Uncharted 4.
Despite the pedigree, Naughty Dog has, the studio has come under fire for reports of crunch and negative working environments. Crunch has been a problem in the video game industry for years, but it's only been getting worse, especially as more and more reports make their way to the yes of the public.
The Last of Us 2 was one such project that saw Naughty Dog crunch, and Kotaku put out a lengthy report on the matter. Both Sony and the studio haven't said much on crunch culture, however, an Easter Egg in The Last of Us 2 seemingly references the controversy.
The Last of Us 2 References Naughty Dog's Crunch Controversy
The Last of Us 2 has a series of superhero cards that work as collectibles. One of these cards is for a character named Doctor Uckmann, a clear reference to the game's director, Neil Druckmann. The description for the card reads "Once a well-respected researcher, Doctor Uckmann's questionable experiments in the realm of pushing human limits saw him ostracized from the scientific community. Even the morally-compromised Laurent Foucault of SPARK Laboratories found his work dubious. Undeterred, Uckmann continued to do his bidding and protect his research while he and The New Dogs stage high-tech heists to fund it all. Constantly moving his lab location so no one can find him, he longs for the day where his subjects will be treated as equals."
It's strange to see the allegations of crunch culture referenced with a cheeky Easter Egg, when it's something that Naughty Dog and Sony have had to address. Crunch is an ongoing problem in the video game industry and a major talking point that needs to be addressed. Obviously it's meant to be a fun Easter Egg, but it can certainly come off the wrong way. On the other hand, Josh Scherr, writer and narrative designer at Naughty Dog, recently said on Twitter that he enjoyed "poking fun" at his bosses with the descriptions on cards.
It seems like the intent behind the card was just as a fun secret, but it's unfortunate timing with the allegations that hit Naughty Dog earlier in 2020.
The Last of Us Part 2 is currently available on PS4.