After it launched in September 2017, Fortnite’s standalone Battle Royale mode became the biggest video game on the planet. The transformative decision to use the mildly popular base-building co-op shooter as a platform on which to build a Battle Royale game was one that undoubtedly worked out for Epic, turning them into one of the biggest and most profitable gaming companies. A cultural phenomenon, Fortnite earns many millions of dollars every single day, funding an incredible growth at the company.
That success has come at a human cost though. In a report, Polygon has detailed the brutal working conditions at Epic, that see many of the game’s developers working 70-hour and longer weeks as they crunch to keep Fortnite perpetually filled with new content. Sources for the article include full-time staff and contractors working across the game’s development.
“I work an average 70 hours a week,” says one employee. “There’s probably at least 50 or even 100 other people at Epic working those hours. I know people who pull 100-hour weeks. The company gives us unlimited time off, but it’s almost impossible to take the time. If I take time off, the workload falls on other people, and no one wants to be that guy.
“The biggest problem is that we’re patching all the time. The executives are focused on keeping Fortnite popular for as long as possible, especially with all the new competition that’s coming in.”
Because it’s a live game that’s constantly patched and updated, there’s a perpetual cycle of crunch to keep the game’s momentum.
“If a build went out into the wild and there was a negative reaction,” explained one developer, “then someone at the top would say, ‘We need to change that’, and everyone would be pulled in from what they were doing, and people were told to cancel their plans, because they were going to crunch until this was done. It was never-ending. It’s great for supporting the community and for the public. But that comes at a cost.”
As the game’s popularity increased, so did demands on the people maintaining the game.
“We went from having a month to prepare to sometimes having as little as a day,” says on source. “A lot of it was mandatory staying at work with no notice until the job was done. Marketing had made a promise, and so we were told that it had to be done.”
Perhaps worse is the culture of fear that’s developed.
“I know some people who just refused to work weekends, and then we missed a deadline because their part of the package wasn’t completed, and they were fired,” said another source. “People are losing their jobs because they don’t want to work these hours.”
Said one QA contractor:
“If I got to the end of an eight-hour workday and I turned to my supervisor to ask if I needed to stay on, they’d often look at me as if I was actively stupid. Officially, you don’t have to keep working, but in reality: ‘Sit back down, we’ll be here for a while.’ If you did not do overtime, that was a mark against your character.”
It’s a sad state of affairs that’s become too common in an industry that’s killing the people who make the games we play.
“It’s killing people. Something has to change. I can’t see how we can go on like this for another year. At first, it was fine, because Fortnite was a big success and that felt good. We were solving problems that were new for Epic: how to run a big, global game as an online service. But now the workload is just endless.”
You should read Polygon’s full report, which includes statements from Epic.
Last Updated: April 24, 2019
Kromas
April 24, 2019 at 08:49
Game devs should have unionized when EA pulled this stunt almost 20 years back. Sooner rather than later something is going to give and a Union is the only way that I can think of that would help.
HvR
April 24, 2019 at 10:06
This is way more common in the tech industry that people realize.
Those fancy campuses, free food, thinking pods, working treadmills etc it to keep you in office working and project an image of we care for our employees while actually pushing for 60 to 100 hour work week..
Heard from ex-colleagues US side if you see “unlimited leave” on the contract run take the industry normal 10 days annually instead.
Alien Emperor Trevor
April 24, 2019 at 10:06
So I guess it’s safe to assume the store team isn’t crunching.
HvR
April 24, 2019 at 10:14
LOL, probably get pull of the store to fix the latest dance move all the time.
Admiral Chief Hype Train
April 24, 2019 at 10:43
“If I take time off, the workload falls on other people, and no one wants to be that guy.”
Give that man a cookie
Admiral Chief Hype Train
April 24, 2019 at 10:44
I wonder how many people are working just to curb the cheaters
Admiral Chief Hype Train
April 24, 2019 at 10:44
HAAAAAAANS!!!
For the Emperor!
April 24, 2019 at 14:19
I really do not like marketers/people who promise things without knowing or caring about the “human cost”. I myself have suffered under their tyranny more than once before.
Gavin Mannion
April 24, 2019 at 08:49
One thing I think you are forgetting to point out is that these guys are being paid a fortune to do this.
Now it’s not right but the gaming public are not a patient bunch and you can’t just magically hire all the people you need when your game suddenly goes great. This crunch seems very different to the pre-launch crunch which is more about pleasing the beancounters than anyone else. This is to ensure the game stays relevant in the fast changing world of gaming.
I don’t like it, but it doesn’t feel as bad to me. Like the source said, he’ll hang around for 4 bonus cheques then duck. Epic will know people are planning to do that and will be actively trying to make it so they don’t want to. It’s an impossible task
Pariah
April 24, 2019 at 09:05
Just because they’re paid more really doesn’t make it any better. The human cost isn’t offset by extra pay. I remember my first job, it was common for us to work 18 hour days, sometimes 7 days a week but almost always 6. We were paid overtime, got good performance bonuses etc. but expecting that of staff is exploitation. It’s basically saying “your health and wellbeing has a price. Here’s some money, shut up and work yourself to the bone.” It’s really the same thing in the end, only it *seems* less bad because there’s more money in it.
Admiral Chief Hype Train
April 24, 2019 at 10:44
(well) paid slave labour
Pieter Kruger
April 24, 2019 at 08:57
NOT INTERESTED!! Where’s my Avengers cross over event???!!!
Pariah
April 24, 2019 at 09:05
It’s a PS4 exclusive. Sorry. 🙂
Pieter Kruger
April 24, 2019 at 09:36
Oh the humanity!!!!
HvR
April 24, 2019 at 10:06
This is way more common in the tech industry that people realize.
Those fancy campuses, free food, thinking pods, working treadmills etc it to keep you in office working and project an image of we care for our employees while actually pushing for 60 to 100 hour work week..
Heard from ex-colleagues US side if you see “unlimited leave” on the contract run take the industry normal 10 days annually instead.
Magoo
April 24, 2019 at 13:52
And then you get Respawn with Apex:
“Eh, we’ll do it tomorrow”
I joke but not really but still joke