Bulkhead CEO addresses WARDOGS development crunch controversy

Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer has addressed controversy regarding ‘crunch’ culture during the development of the FPS title WARDOGS. Following criticism of previous interview comments, Brammer clarified that overtime periods at the studio are voluntary, though he acknowledged the potential for social pressure within a tightly-knit team.

To meet a June beta deadline, the studio implemented a four-week period where staff were asked to work two additional hours per day from Monday to Thursday. Brammer stated that four employees declined to participate and faced no repercussions. He noted that while the studio aims to avoid crunch, it is sometimes necessary to meet milestones.

Brammer also highlighted the studio's compensation structure, noting that 50 percent of employees hold 80 percent of the company's shares. He mentioned that for half of the development cycle, the team worked four-day weeks, and the entire staff was given the month of December off. Despite the labor discussions, WARDOGS has seen commercial success, selling two million copies on Steam following its early access launch.