Sony Reportedly Expected More PS5 Games From Naughty Dog and Bungie as AAA Development Costs Rise
PlayStation fans have been waiting longer than expected for major first-party PS5 releases, and a new industry discussion suggests Sony may be feeling the same frustration internally. Studios such as Naughty Dog have traditionally played a major role in defining the PlayStation brand, while Bungie was brought in to strengthen Sony’s live-service and cross-platform strategy. However, recent comments from industry reporter Jason Schreier suggest Sony expected stronger output from both studios.
The issue appears to be part of a much larger challenge facing modern game development: blockbuster games are taking longer to make, costing far more to produce, and delivering fewer releases per console generation.
According to Schreier, Sony has concerns about rising budgets and slower production timelines across its game studios. While Naughty Dog was mentioned in the conversation, the point was not limited to one developer. Instead, it reflects a broader shift in the gaming industry, where AAA projects now require massive teams, years of development, and enormous financial investment.
Naughty Dog is one of the clearest examples of this change. During the PS3 and PS4 eras, the studio released major games at a much faster pace. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune arrived in 2007 and was followed by several successful sequels. The Last of Us then became one of PlayStation’s biggest franchises, winning critical acclaim and achieving strong sales.
The PS5 generation has been different. Instead of several new original releases, Naughty Dog’s recent output has focused largely on remakes, remasters, and PC versions connected to The Last of Us. While these projects have kept the franchise active, many fans are still waiting for a brand-new PS5 exclusive from the studio.
Naughty Dog’s next major game is Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a sci-fi project that has reportedly been in development since around 2020. Despite the long wait, there is still no confirmed release date. Fans are hoping Sony will share more information during one of the major gaming showcases this summer.
Another factor may be Sony’s previous push into live-service games. Naughty Dog spent years developing The Last of Us Online, a multiplayer project that was eventually canceled in 2023. Reports suggest the game had reached an advanced stage, but continuing development would have required long-term support and resources that could have pulled the studio away from its single-player projects.
Bungie has faced its own pressure. Once seen as a key part of Sony’s live-service future, the studio has dealt with uncertainty surrounding Destiny 2 and questions about the future of the franchise. Schreier indicated that funding concerns were among the reasons Bungie had not already moved forward with Destiny 3.
The situation highlights a difficult reality for Sony and other major publishers. Players want ambitious, polished, cinematic games, but the bigger these projects become, the harder they are to release regularly. Development cycles that once lasted three or four years can now stretch much longer, especially when games are expected to launch with high-end visuals, accessibility features, online systems, and post-launch support.
This challenge is not limited to PlayStation. Across the industry, major games are taking longer to arrive. Grand Theft Auto 6 is one of the most obvious examples, with fans waiting more than a decade after the release of Grand Theft Auto 5. The scale of modern open-world and AAA game development has changed expectations for both players and publishers.
For Sony, the question is how to balance quality, cost, and release frequency. Naughty Dog remains one of the most respected studios in the industry, and Bungie still has deep experience in online multiplayer design. But both studios now face the same pressure affecting many top developers: deliver games that justify huge budgets while keeping players engaged in a highly competitive market.
If Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet lives up to expectations, it could help restore momentum for Naughty Dog’s PS5 era. Until then, fans will continue watching closely for updates, hoping the long wait leads to a game worthy of the studio’s reputation.
