The developer of PS5 launch title Bugsnax is permanently transitioning to a four-day work week in an attempt to give its employees a healthier work-life balance.
Axios reports that back in July, Young Horses said it tested out a four-day work week model as a trial run. Now, that change will become the norm for the eight-person studio. Young Horses President Phil Tibitoski says they know this shift was easier for them due to the studio's small size.
"It was easier for us to implement because to measure our small team's output is simple relative to those bigger studios, so our trial period and decision-making is faster than a studio who has to get buy-in from so many departments and investors," Tibitoski said. He added that he thinks a four-day work week is possible at larger studios, but that expectations would have to change in order for it to work.
Crunch remains a heavily-discussed topic within the video game industry. Earlier this month, the co-presidents of Naughty Dog shared their thoughts on potential remedies to crunch, including unionization, mandatory hours, and more.
In our Bugsnax review, we called the game, 'great,' saying, "the laughs outnumbered the groans significantly as I found myself surprisingly invested in the events of the island and its inhabitants." Now the game is set to come to Steam sometime next year.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN. You can find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.