Quantic Lab Embroiled in New Allegations of Mismanagement and Client Deception

Allegations of mismanagement and client deception have surfaced against Quantic Lab, a QA outsourcing firm owned by Embracer. According to sources within the company, including two current and eight former employees, the firm consistently took on more projects than it could handle, resulting in overextended staff and subpar work quality delivered to clients on notable titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine, and Divinity: Original Sin 2. It is also alleged that Quantic Lab misled clients about the size and competence of its teams, encouraging employees to do the same. A former employee described this practice as 'standard' and involved exaggerating the company's QA capabilities to clients. These claims follow an earlier report that Quantic Lab was dishonest about its partnership with CD Projekt Red, specifically regarding the experience level of the team assigned to the Cyberpunk project. A source involved in the project revealed that from an initial team of 30, only ten had prior QA experience, with none of the 'experienced' testers having more than a year of experience. Furthermore, it is reported that Quantic Lab was aware that CD Projekt was not receiving the level of experience it paid for and that the developer expressed concerns about the team's performance on several occasions. The company allegedly discouraged staff from discussing their years of experience in the industry when communicating with CD Projekt employees. The contract for the Cyberpunk project, which was open to extension through future updates and expansions, expired in 2021 and was not renewed by CD Projekt. Additional grievances raised by employees include poor pay and working conditions, particularly during the pandemic. Management reportedly viewed testing as an 'unskilled' job, with junior testers earning around €300 per month and lead testers earning approximately €680 per month, making it difficult for employees to afford living near the company's offices in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Work-from-home privileges were largely reserved for management, while testers were required to work from the office, disregarding social distancing guidelines. The employees who spoke out expressed pessimism about the company's ability to change, suggesting that a comprehensive overhaul from the top down would be necessary.