Wardogs CEO Brammer defends work practices after crunch backlash

Joe Brammer, CEO of Bulkhead Interactive, has pushed back against criticism of his management approach and the studio's work practices surrounding the launch of military shooter Wardogs, which has sold over three million copies in its first 18 days.

Brammer's comments came after earlier remarks to The Games Business, in which he said Bulkhead would not hire people who "constantly tweet anti-crunch messaging." The statement sparked backlash, prompting him to clarify to Eurogamer that staff worked an extra two hours per week Monday to Thursday for four weeks, and that the studio operates a four-day week.

"Just to be clear for the record, I'm not pro crunch, I am pro hard work. I just love making games," Brammer told Knowledge. He acknowledged the difficulty of defining crunch but argued that when people work overtime, they should be rewarded. He referenced the "EA Spouse era" as an example of genuinely harmful practices, where companies planned six months of 10-hour days and weekend work during production.

Brammer rejected criticism that poor management causes crunch, describing it as "such a bullshit mentality." He noted that developing new IP with cutting-edge technology, including work on Unreal Engine 5, presents challenges that cannot always be solved by delaying a game's release. "The conversations that happen in private are a lot different than the conversations that happen in public," he added. "I would bet that more people agree with me."

Bulkhead was spun out from Tencent in December 2025.