Highly anticipated: As expected, Blizzard took time at The Game Awards 2022 to announce a Diablo IV release date and begin pre-orders. The eagerly anticipated title is slated to launch in June. However, some Blizzard employees think the release window might be too optimistic.

On Thursday, several anonymous Activision Blizzard employees told The Washington Post that Diablo IV’s June release date seems unlikely unless they cut parts of the game or there is a massive crunch period. The sources say that the title has already faced several unannounced delays. This claim bears some weight considering that leaks in November indicated the game would arrive in April 2023.

A two-month delay on a game already in its beta phase seems reasonable — the extra time should give developers a chance to put the finishing touches and final polish on the title. Still, WaPo’s sources paint a bleaker picture, complaining of mismanagement, high turnover, and the possibility of some heavy crunch for “paltry” rewards.

Crunch is generally voluntary overtime work consisting of extended hours and weekend work for higher pay, usually 1.5x an employee’s standard wage. Game companies also incentivize crunch time by offering other rewards on top of the higher pay rate. The incentives can include bonuses for getting the game out on time, stock options, and even a cut of the initial sales.

While crunch has almost always been a…