WARDOGS Development Head Says Overtime Is Inevitable

Bulkhead checks the social media comments of prospective employees to screen for negative statements against mandatory overtime.

Bulkhead head and WARDOGS executive producer Joe Brammer stated that the studio tries to avoid crunch during game development, though completely eliminating it is impossible. According to him, employees will inevitably face the need to work overtime at some point, and company management does not intend to hide this from prospective workers.

In an interview with The Game Business, Brammer shared that Bulkhead tries to clearly outline its work culture during hiring. He stated that people who are fundamentally opposed to crunch may simply not be a fit for the studio.

Brammer noted that Bulkhead wants to be perceived as a place where hard work is expected from employees. At the same time, he admitted that he personally counts on workers being ready for overtime.

According to Brammer, the studio also examines the social media accounts of prospective employees during the hiring process. If a candidate regularly posts messages with categorical condemnation of crunch, they may be turned down specifically because management considers such a person incompatible with Bulkhead’s corporate culture.