Hideo Kojima, one of the biggest names in the games industry, has been hard at work as his Kojima Productions are entering the final stretches of development for one of their upcoming projects–likely Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. Taking to X, the director vented how “crunch time” is “The most demanding period of game development—both physically and mentally,” explaining that during this time, much has to be accomplished from writing to non-game related work.

“Crunch” has been and continues to be a contentious and seemingly inevitable part of game development. A term referring to an extended period wherein workers are expected to put in long and oftentimes strenuous hours of unpaid work in order to have their game ready for launch. Reports suggest that more than 50% of employees across the AAA, indie, and mobile spaces have experienced “crunch,” with some individuals averaging as much as 95 hours a week.

Such a period can be taxing on one’s physical and mental well-being. For someone like Kojima, who’s been a part of this industry for multiple decades, periods like this can bring out thoughts of introspection. Taking to X days after his earlier post, Kojima questioned how much longer he can keep working, writing: “I want to keep going for the rest of my life, but is it 10 more years? 20? Every day it feels like I’m racing against the clock.” He’d end by making a comparison to Gladiator II director Ridley Scott, who continues to work even at age 87 and directed the original Gladiator at an older age than Kojima now (61).

Kojima still seems to be in good health and spirits and has a number of exciting projects in the pipeline. Here’s hoping the legendary game-maker can remember to take breaks and keep hydrated so he can keep doing what he loves for years to come.