Joe Bramble, the chief executive of Bulkhead—the studio behind the hit tactical shooter Wardogs—has taken the time to clarify his stance on the contentious issue of crunch in game development. In a recent interview with Knowledge, Bramble stressed that he does not endorse the practice of forced overtime, which many in the industry refer to as "crunch," but rather champions a culture of diligent effort and dedication. The clarification came after Bramble’s earlier comments to The Games Business, where he suggested that Bulkhead would not bring on staff members who "constantly tweet anti-crunch messaging." Those remarks sparked a wave of criticism, prompting the CEO to issue a more detailed statement to Eurogamer.
In that follow‑up, Bramble explained that his team had been working an additional two hours each day from Monday through Thursday over a four‑week period, and he highlighted that the studio operates on a four‑day workweek schedule. "Just to be clear for the record, I'm not pro crunch, I am pro hard work. I just love making games," Bramble told Knowledge. He went on to note that defining what constitutes crunch is inherently subjective.
"If people put in overtime, they should be compensated for it," he said, drawing a line between voluntary extra effort and exploitative expectations. Bramble reflected on his early days in the industry, recalling the "EA Spouse era," a time when developers would spend two years building a title and then endure six months of weekend work and ten‑hour days. He described that model as "horrendous behaviour" that was deliberately planned rather than an unfortunate side effect. The CEO also addressed the personal criticism he has faced regarding his management style at Bulkhead.
He rejected the notion that the studio’s approach is merely a symptom of poor management or flawed production pipelines. "I really don't agree with the 'it's just bad management and bad production' argument against crunch," he said, calling that perspective "bullshit." He emphasized the difficulty of launching a new intellectual property, especially when it relies on cutting‑edge technology.
"We helped develop some of the tools in Unreal Engine 5; we're at the forefront of innovation. When things don’t work as expected, we can’t simply say, 'we’ll delay the game a month.' That’s not how it works," Bramble explained. Bramble further suggested that the public discourse around crunch often differs from private conversations among developers. "The conversations that happen in private are a lot different than the conversations that happen in public.
I would bet that more people agree with me," he asserted, implying that many industry insiders may share his view that a balanced, hard‑working environment can coexist with realistic project timelines. Bulkhead itself has an interesting corporate background. The studio was spun out of Tencent in December 2025, giving it a degree of independence while still benefiting from the resources of its former parent company.
Since its launch, Wardogs—a military‑themed first‑person shooter—has resonated strongly with gamers, moving over three million copies in just 18 days of availability. The rapid commercial success underscores both the market appetite for high‑quality tactical shooters and the effectiveness of Bulkhead’s development strategy. Earlier in the year, Bramble spoke with GamesIndustry.biz about the studio’s transition away from Tencent’s oversight and its future ambitions for Wardogs. He outlined plans to expand the game’s post‑launch support, introduce new multiplayer modes, and continue refining the experience based on community feedback.
He also hinted at the possibility of leveraging the studio’s expertise in Unreal Engine 5 to explore additional genres or spin‑off titles that could capitalize on the technology’s capabilities. In summary, while the term "crunch" continues to evoke strong reactions within the gaming community, Bramble’s position is that the focus should be on rewarding genuine extra effort rather than institutionalizing excessive overtime. He argues that a commitment to hard work, combined with fair compensation and realistic scheduling, can drive both creative excellence and commercial success.
As Wardogs continues to sell robustly and Bulkhead charts its post‑Tencent future, the conversation around work practices in game development remains a vital part of the broader industry dialogue. Overall, Bramble’s message is clear: he values the passion and dedication of his team, wants to avoid the pitfalls of forced crunch, and believes that a well‑managed, hard‑working environment is the best path forward for creating great games.