The lead game director for Apex Legends has defended developer Respawn Entertainment after an employee complained about the crunch culture at the company. It is a problem that might well be exacerbated with a free-to-play service game like Apex Legends that is constantly under development to release new seasons and content.
Video game crunch refers to the practice of developers working far longer hours than is normal in the run-up to a game's launch. It usually happens when employees have to ensure a title meets its original deadline whilst also being free of bugs and any other issues. Reports have suggested that some workers might be made to stay in the office for more than 100 hours every week just to get a game released on-schedule.
Respawn Entertainment has responded to criticism from a developer that accused the firm of forcing employees to work excessive hours. The complaint, which can be seen below, was posted on the employer review site Glassdoor and referenced a number of problems that were leading to burn out. Apex Legends game director Chad Grenier made a statement on the Apex Legends subreddit, defending the studio from the accusations. In his post, Grenier explained that he has been "vocal every day telling people to only work as much as they can" during the COVID-19 pandemic. He went on to say that he believes "Respawn has its employee's best interest and health in mind" but did acknowledge the employee was "absolutely right in how they felt, and they were clearly working too much." Other developers at Respawn have also chimed in to defend the company while also reaching out in support.
Respawn is not the first developer to be accused of forcing employees to meet tough deadlines and crunch long hours. High profile companies such as Ubisoft and Treyarch have been accused of unhealthy working practices and a culture of crunch that can have a negative effect on employees. Most recently, Naughty Dog was criticized for allegedly making designers and programmers work incredibly long hours during the latter stages of development for The Last of Us Part II.
Whether the accusations made on Glassdoor are accurate or not, it once again puts a spotlight on the crunch culture that has been an accepted part of the gaming industry for too long. The practice is so prevalent that some publishers have specifically banned it altogether, and players are now regularly calling for more ethical game development across the industry. Few other types of labor force employees to regularly work such obscenely long hours, and the mental health issues this can cause are hugely detrimental. Hopefully, the more companies are called out for such behavior, the chances of it happening again in the future decrease.
Source: Chad Grenier, NikhilSingh7