Joe Brammer, CEO of Bulkhead, the studio behind the recently successful game Wardogs, has defended the company's approach to crunch time. In an interview with The Game Business, Brammer described crunch not as an unavoidable negative, but as a 'balancing act' that is integral to the studio's culture.
Brammer stated that he values a specific kind of balance, one where intense periods of work are followed by periods of reduced pressure. He elaborated that for the past three months, Wardogs has taken precedence over personal lives, a situation he acknowledges but frames as necessary for the game's development. He also noted that the studio resists external pressure to rush releases, citing the console version of Wardogs, which is slated for a 2028 release, as an example of their commitment to their timeline.
"We've just said, 'No, you don't understand, that's not how it's going to work. We can't push them more. We're not doing that. It's going to release in 2028 when we say it's going to release,'" Brammer explained. He emphasized that this approach allows employees to take time off without fear of reprisal.
The CEO also addressed the challenges of crunching as the team ages and starts families. He mentioned that Bulkhead initially offered 10-week paternity leave but found that partners struggled with employees returning to work so soon. The studio has since adjusted to a two-week paternity leave policy, supplemented with half-days to ease the transition for new parents.
Brammer also revealed that Bulkhead actively avoids hiring individuals who vocally oppose crunch culture online. He believes such individuals would not be a good fit for the studio's work ethic. "A lot of people who may have an issue with crunch — rightly so, I understand that issue, we always try and avoid it, but we don’t hide that this is going to happen at some point — they often don't make it in the door," he said. "We want to be known for that: this is a place you come to work hard."
To compensate for the demanding work periods, Brammer detailed that Bulkhead provides significant bonuses and company shares to select employees, though not all staff are eligible. "If we're going to be a company who says, 'we do crunch', then we have to also say, 'but you get something for it,'" he stated. "We want people to know that those people who do work hard get that return, and it is life-changing."
Wardogs has achieved considerable commercial success, selling two million copies in its first week. The game has also become a popular title on Steam. The studio maintains its commitment to a deliberate release schedule for its console versions, planned for 2028.