Bulkhead CEO Joe Brammer has responded to heavy social media debate and criticism following comments about the studio’s work culture and hiring practices, according to Eurogamer. The discussion arose after Brammer appeared on a podcast hosted by Chris Dring on The Game Business to discuss the launch of the tactical first-person shooter Wardogs. During the interview, Brammer discussed studio overtime practices and revealed that Bulkhead checks applicants’ social media accounts during the hiring process, deciding against candidates who regularly post anti-crunch messaging.
Bulkhead CEO Responds to Crunch and Hiring Controversy
Brammer stated that while the UK studio tries to avoid overtime where possible, crunch is an inevitable part of development. 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,
Brammer said in the interview reported by Dexerto. He added that the studio explicitly reviews public profiles to filter out applicants who advocate heavily against additional hours, noting, We check people’s socials, and if you’re constantly tweeting anti-crunch messaging: ‘This should never ever be a thing’, we know that and go, ‘Look, you’re not going to be happy here, so we’re not going to go with you’.
Pushback Against Mandatory Overtime Reports
Following publication of his remarks, Brammer pushed back on social media against reports characterizing the studio’s overtime as mandatory. In a post on X, he stated, No information says mandatory, they made this up,
while specifically singling out coverage from Eurogamer and other outlets for taking his comments out of context. Brammer defended the studio’s overall working conditions by highlighting that Bulkhead operated on a four-day workweek for roughly half of the development cycle for Wardogs and gave employees the entire month of December off.
Other industry developers criticized the studio’s stance, arguing that heavy overtime often stems from poor management and planning rather than simply working hard. In response to the backlash, Brammer emphasized that employees receive financial upside when crunch is required. He noted that 50 percent of Bulkhead’s staff collectively own 80 percent of the company’s shares, and that bonuses distributed to team members can provide life-changing returns, such as a housing deposit for junior staff members who have spent a few years at the company.
Wardogs Early Access Success and Studio Context
The controversy surrounds the recent release of Wardogs, which entered Early Access on September 10 and crossed the milestone of 2 million sales within five days. Despite experiencing a queue-clogged launch that led to a temporary review-bombing on Steam, the multiplayer shooter has achieved rapid commercial success. Bulkhead has outlined future content plans for the game, including additional maps, vehicles, and weapons, with an official exit from Early Access targeted for sometime in 2028 alongside planned releases for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Alongside its recent success, Dexerto noted that Bulkhead has implemented staff redundancies annually over the past five years, laying off approximately 20 percent of the company during each of those years, though Brammer indicated this is the first year without layoffs. Previously, the studio was recognized as one of the UK’s Best Places to Work by GamesIndustry.biz in both 2023 and 2024.
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