Diablo IV Dev Says Crunch Hits Small Studios Hard
Crunch culture remains one of the most difficult issues in the game industry.
For years, players have heard stories about developers working extremely long hours to finish major games before launch. While this kind of work pattern may help a studio meet a deadline, it is not healthy or sustainable in the long run.
Now, a key developer behind Diablo IV has shared his view on why crunch often happens more in smaller studios.
Diablo IV engine lead talks about crunch culture
Marcin Undak, engine lead for Diablo IV, said in an interview with GamesRadar+ that he felt lucky after moving to larger companies because he no longer had to deal with crunch in the same way.
According to him, this is one of the major differences between large companies and smaller studios.
In smaller companies, crunch does not always happen only because management wants people to work harder. Sometimes, it comes from survival pressure. A small studio may feel like everything depends on getting one game out on time. If the game fails to launch or earn money, the whole company may collapse.
That situation can push teams into unhealthy work habits, even when nobody wants that outcome.
Smaller studios face heavier survival pressure
Undak explained that smaller teams often deal with limited budgets and fewer people.
Because of that, one developer may need to handle several roles at once. At the same time, the pressure to finish the game before a deadline remains high. This combination can create an environment where crunch becomes difficult to avoid.
For smaller studios, a delay can become dangerous. They may not have enough funding, staff, or backup resources to absorb long production problems. As a result, employees may feel forced to work longer hours just to keep the project alive.
This does not make crunch acceptable. However, it shows why the issue can become more common in teams with fewer resources.
Big companies should not need crunch
Undak also pointed out that large companies operate very differently.
A major studio with hundreds or even thousands of employees has more resources, stronger funding, and more manpower. Because of that, crunch should not be necessary in the same way.
In his view, if crunch still exists inside a large company with enough resources, then the problem may come from workplace culture rather than survival pressure.
That statement is important because it separates two different situations. Small studios may face crunch because they are trying to survive. Large companies, however, should have enough support systems to avoid forcing employees into extreme workloads.
Diablo IV remains available across major platforms
Diablo IV is now available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Xbox One.
The game continues to be one of Blizzard’s major live-service titles, with updates and seasonal content keeping players engaged across platforms.
Crunch culture is not just a production issue. It is a people issue. Undak’s comments show how complicated the problem can be, especially for smaller studios fighting for survival. Still, the industry should never treat long, unhealthy work hours as normal. Big companies with money and manpower should lead by example, while smaller studios need better planning, support, and realistic production goals. Great games should not come at the cost of broken developers.
