Wardogs studio chief Brammer insists he isn't "pro crunch, I am pro hard work"

Joe Brammer, the CEO of Bulkhead, a studio under Tencent, has spoken out about crunch, clarifying his stance on the matter. He insists he is not "pro crunch" but "pro hard work." Brammer clarified his remarks after facing backlash, stating that his team worked an additional two hours per week, Monday to Thursday, for four weeks. He further explained that his studio operates on a four-day workweek.

Defining crunch is challenging, according to Brammer, as it is subjective. However, he believes that overtime work should be compensated. Brammer reminisced about the "EA Spouse era," where companies made games for two years and planned for six months of weekend work and 10-hour days, which he considers horrendous. He argued that planning for such conditions is unacceptable.

Brammer also addressed personal criticism, which questioned his management style at Bulkhead. He disagreed with the notion that crunch is merely a result of poor management and production. He felt that creating new IPs and working with cutting-edge technology is tough, and delays are not always an option. Brammer added that private conversations differ significantly from public ones, and he believes that more people might agree with his perspective.

Bulkhead was spun off from Tencent in December 2025. The studio's latest game, Wardogs, a military shooter, has sold over three million copies in its first 18 days on sale. Brammer discussed Bulkhead's experience working under Tencent and the studio's future aspirations for Wardogs during an interview with GamesIndustry.biz.