Naughty Dog Lays Off Dozens of Contract Developers: The Last of Us Multiplayer Game Is Now “Basically on Ice”

[Tsing]

The Last of Us franchise has been such a huge success story for Naughty Dog that everyone's job there must be totally secure, right? Not quite, as sources with Kotaku have learned that the developer behind the post-apocalyptic series, as well as Uncharted, has begun getting rid of some of its contract developers as part of a downsizing. While full-time staff is reportedly unaffected, at least 25 people, including QA testers and those in art and production, are being laid off, and none of them will be receiving severance, it's claimed. Naughty Dog's new multiplayer game, which is set in The Last of Us universe, is also said to be "basically on ice at this point."

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[MadMummy76]

If you are a contract worker you were never really hired. And obviously you don't get severance. You knew the deal when you signed the contract, no use crying about it now.

And not as if this is a new practice in game development either, I was offered the same deal in 2004, or rather the choice to be a full employee with benefits and get paid X, or be a contract worker and get paid 1.3 X.