Bulkhead's War Dogs sold 2 million copies in less than a week after launch, helping the studio survive its existential crisis. CEO Joe Brammer also spoke openly about the team's crunch periods, hiring standards, and their approach to selectively disclosing information.
When announcing the Early Access release date for War Dogs, the development team released a video titled "Ten Reasons Not to Buy," highlighting the differences between this title and popular first-person shooters like Call of Duty and Battlefield, and warning fans of those franchises that they might not enjoy War Dogs. Brammer said the team believed from the scriptwriting stage that the video would be effective, and their marketing efforts have consistently emphasized that this is not Call of Duty.
However, Brammer did not describe this approach as fully honest and transparent. He frankly admitted that the company currently only discloses information that serves its own interests and does not reveal all ongoing work to the public. As players increasingly view "transparency and honesty" as part of Bulkhead's brand identity, the company may face new challenges when it chooses not to disclose certain matters in the future.
The development of War Dogs was critical to the studio's continued operation. In December 2025, Brammer told his team of around 100 people that the company faced the risk of layoffs and advised employees to accept other job offers if they received them. With the game's commercial success, he believes War Dogs has saved Bulkhead.
Brammer acknowledged that the team underwent crunch periods to complete the game. He stated that over the past three months, War Dogs consumed much of many employees' family time; while the company tries to avoid overtime, it does not hide the possibility of such situations during development. He also noted that employees received life-changing compensation.
This attitude also influences Bulkhead's hiring process. Brammer stated that the company reviews applicants' public posts on social media; if someone consistently and explicitly opposes any form of overtime, the team may determine that they would struggle to adapt to the studio's development style and thus decide not to hire them.
In response to demands for an early console release, Bulkhead decided not to pressure the team further. Brammer stated that the console version will be released in 2028, and all employees will receive the entire month of December off.