News May 25, 2026

Marcin Undak, lead engine engineer on Diablo 4, shared candid thoughts about developer crunch culture during a Digital Dragons panel attended by GamesRadar+. The conversation highlighted the stark contrast between how smaller independent studios approach deadline pressure versus large AAA corporations with substantial resources.

Undak reflected on his own experience moving from smaller teams to larger companies: "I've been lucky to not crunch for a really long time now, since I joined bigger companies." He distinguished between two fundamentally different scenarios developers face depending on studio size and financial stability.

What's New

Undak spoke at Digital Dragons about industry working conditions affecting game development

Small team crunch: "You are crunching because the company is on the verge of collapsing" - either release on time or everyone loses their jobs due to running out of money

AAA studio crunch: "Not necessary, so those bigger companies can choose whether they want their people to crunch or not, because they have money to sustain themselves"

He acknowledged that even well-resourced studios may maintain "a culture of crunch" by choice rather than necessity

What This Means for Players

For Diablo 4 players, this discussion offers insight into how Blizzard approaches development sustainability. While the game has received consistent seasonal updates and expansions like Vessel of Hatred, understanding these industry dynamics helps contextualize the pace of content delivery. Sustainable work environments tend to support longer-term game health, potentially benefiting ongoing seasonal content, balance patches, and future expansion planning that players depend on for continued engagement.

What's Next

The conversation reflects growing industry awareness around sustainable development practices. As discussions about crunch culture continue across the gaming sector, players may see shifts in how studios approach major release timelines and live service game support schedules. Diablo 4's next seasonal content and any upcoming announcements could reflect these broader industry conversations about developer wellbeing.