Former Valve writer Chet Faliszek recently stated that ultra-large development teams often struggle to operate effectively, and simply expanding headcount does not necessarily improve game quality. His 12 years at Valve led him to believe that excellent games completed on schedule do not rely on massive teams.
In a video responding to "Why doesn't Valve hire more people?", Faliszek stated that games are not suited for development by teams of ten thousand, as such massive teams struggle to function properly. He also acknowledged that projects with multi-billion dollar investments like GTA VI may require large numbers of personnel, but he believes such titles are exceptions.
Discussing personnel expansion driven by the pursuit of visual fidelity, Faliszek recalled a Ubisoft artist telling him that the company only hires "top-tier artists," a group numbering around 3,500. He believes that while the pursuit of graphics and fidelity is not inherently problematic, it typically requires massive teams, and increased investment does not necessarily yield proportional returns.
In his view, personnel costs are not the only issue facing mega-teams. What truly slows down game development is often indecision and repeatedly overturning existing plans, rather than the production work itself. Dead Island 2 changed hands among three studios and took nearly a decade to release; Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 was released 21 years after the original and underwent changes in its development team.
Faliszek also holds reservations about remote collaboration. He believes that when members cannot directly participate in certain communications, information may be passed down through informal channels; as some individuals feel their opinions are not being heard, personal agendas are more likely to impact collaboration.
Citing Left 4 Dead 2, which he worked on personally, he noted that the title was created by just 45 people, and even if the team had been expanded to 450, the final product would not have been better. Faliszek believes that while some goals pursued by the modern game industry drive team expansion, a group of people able to communicate directly in the same space is often better suited to delivering truly significant works.