Joe Brammer, CEO of BULKHEAD, the developer behind Wardogs, recently responded to controversies regarding overtime at the studio, denying that mandatory overtime occurred during development. He stated that relevant articles had taken his previous comments about intense work out of context, and claimed that allegations of "mandatory overtime" were untrue.
The controversy stems from Brammer's previous statements on overtime in an interview. At the time, he acknowledged that while the studio strives to avoid overtime, it cannot guarantee that it will never occur during development; the company also informs candidates about the potential for high-intensity work during the hiring process.
In the original interview, Brammer stated that BULKHEAD aims to be a company that values dedication and work results. Employees who align with this work style will feel their worth, while those who do not may perceive the work pressure as excessive. These remarks subsequently became the focal point of external discussions regarding the development environment of Wardogs.
Addressing these concerns, Brammer outlined the studio's current arrangements. He noted that over 80% of the company's shares are held by half of the employees, all staff took a one-month vacation in December, and the team operated on a four-day workweek for approximately half of Wardogs' development cycle.
He also stated that employees involved in the development of Wardogs would be appropriately rewarded following the game's positive player feedback. However, he has no intention of engaging in public disputes over related articles on social media platforms, and suggested that people read the full interview before making judgments.
Wardogs launched in Early Access on PC last week, selling over 2 million copies in its first week. Discussions surrounding the studio's development culture have continued to intensify following the game's release and this sales achievement.