Careers at Naughty Dog Games

• About Naughty Dog
  • Locations
• Working at Naughty Dog
  • Employee benefits
  • Employee perks
  • Work life balance
• Search for Naughty Dog jobs
• How to get a job at Naughty Dog

About Naughty Dog

Headquarters: Santa Monica, California, USA
Company type: Developer, publisher
Number of employees: 350+
Most famous products: Crash Bandicoot, Jak and Daxter, Uncharted, The Last of Us

Naughty Dog was founded in 1984 by Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin, who later sold the company to Sony Computer Entertainment in 2001. Since then, Naughty Dog has become one of the most successful and well-regarded game developers in the industry, particularly for their high-quality narrative-driven games such as Uncharted and The Last of Us.

Locations

Naughty Dog is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, USA. Although the company is mainly based in one location, they work closely with other Sony-owned studios and frequently collaborate with other teams within the larger Sony Interactive Entertainment network.

Working at Naughty Dog

As a part of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Naughty Dog offers competitive salaries and an attractive benefits package to its employees. But beware — since the company is primarily based in Santa Monica, remember to factor in the region’s relatively higher cost of living when you’re evaluating job offers.

Employee benefits

At Naughty Dog, employees can expect to receive these and other benefits:

• Insurance: Health, dental, and vision
• Retirement plan, 401(k) plan
• Performance bonuses (quarterly)
• Maternity/Paternity leave
• Paid holidays and sick days
• Employee discounts on Sony products, including games and hardware

Employee perks

Besides the competitive salaries and employee benefits, Naughty Dog offers the following perks for employees at their Santa Monica location:

• Free lunches and snacks on site
• Access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment
• Company-sponsored social events and team-building activities
• Opportunities for professional growth and career development

Work life balance

Like many game studios, work hours at Naughty Dog can be flexible, with employees having the option to adjust their schedules as needed. However, the company has received some criticism for their periods of intense work (“crunch time”) — especially during the final stages of a game’s development. So if maintaining a work-life balance is a priority for you, be sure to discuss expectations with the hiring manager or recruiter before you accept a position at Naughty Dog.

Search for Naughty Dog jobs

As a renowned game developer, Naughty Dog offers a range of job opportunities across various fields, including game development, marketing, finance, and more. Some common job openings at Naughty Dog include:

• Software Engineer
• Game Artist
• Game Designer
• Game QA Tester
• Game Producer
• Community Manager
• Audio Designer
• Technical Artist
• Animator
• Level Designer
• (Many more!)

Naughty Dog posts their job openings on their website at: https://www.naughtydog.com/careers.

How to get a job at Naughty Dog

To find and apply for a job at Naughty Dog, follow these steps:

1. Search for current job openings at Naughty Dog on Naughty Dog Careers.
2. Filter the search results to only the jobs that fit your field (such as game programming, or community manager) and location.
3. Apply for the job and upload your resume using the provided form
4. Upload or submit a link to your online art, design, or programming portfolio, if asked (optional).
5. Wait 3 to 4 days for a recruiter to respond to your job application. Tip: If you don’t hear back after about a week, it’s okay to contact a recruiter using the information on the job posting.
6. When a recruiter responds, work with the recruiter to schedule a video/phone screen.
7. Next, you may be asked to do a longer series of virtual or in-person interviews with additional team members.
8. Congratulations! With some hard work and a little luck, you’ll be hired to work at Naughty Dog.

For details and tips on how to search for jobs, apply, and interview at game companies, be sure to read the comprehensive Video Game Job Search Guide.

Naughty Dog: The bottom line

Naughty Dog is a prestigious, award-winning game developer that has produced some of the most iconic and successful games in the industry. They offer many different job opportunities in many fields, competitive salaries, and a great benefits package.

However, it’s smart to be aware of the sometimes-intense “crunch time” work culture, including possible overtime requirements. But if you’re passionate about game development, and eager to work with a highly-talented team on top-tier games, Naughty Dog could be a great fit for your career.