Brammer, the head of Wardogs studio, emphasizes that while he is not in favor of "crunch," he supports hard work

The head of Bulkhead, the company behind the game "Wardogs," Joe Brammer, recently addressed his comments concerning intense work periods in game development.

Wardogs. First-person perspective of a battlefield scene with a soldier aiming an assault rifle. A multi-story concrete structure is on fire, with smoke billowing upwards. A military all-terrain vehicle hovers in the air near a helicopter, both appearing to be engaged in combat. — Image credit: Bulkhead

In an interview with Knowledge, Brammer emphasized that while he does not support extensive periods of forced overtime, he is in favor of dedicated effort. His comments come after he expressed to The Games Business that Bulkhead preferred not to employ individuals who are persistently against crunch culture.

Following negative reactions, Brammer elaborated on his original statements in a communication with Eurogamer. He explained that his team contributed an additional two hours of work per week from Monday to Thursday over the span of four weeks, using a four-day workweek schedule at the studio.

"For clarity, I am not pro crunch," Brammer reiterated to Knowledge, "but I advocate for hard work. I have a passion for game development."

Brammer noted that defining crunch is complex and subjective, asserting that employees should be compensated for any extra hours worked. He reflected on past practices in the industry, highlighting a time when companies would plan for extensive periods of overtime, describing such methods as unacceptable.

Addressing criticism concerning his leadership approach, Brammer refuted claims that crunch resulted from poor management, calling this perspective flawed. He pointed out the challenges of creating original content, particularly when utilizing novel technology like Unreal Engine 5, where unexpected issues can arise without the luxury of easily delaying product releases.

"Discussions held away from the public eye often differ greatly from those in the open," he commented, suggesting there is more support for his views than expressed publicly.

In December 2025, Bulkhead was separated from Tencent, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz. The studio's latest release, "Wardogs," achieved over three million sales within the first 18 days post-launch. In an earlier conversation with GamesIndustry.biz, Brammer provided insights into their collaboration with Tencent and outlined ambitions for "Wardogs."