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I am truly sorry that you had this impression and experience at Funcom. I would like to have a chance to respond to your "Cons", first in regards to toxic management, there is a difference between studio management and team leads. Funcom's management has always been seen as supportive, communicative and they strive to make sound decisions that will never negatively impact the company or the employees. I believe that you may be referring to a team lead when you speak about toxicity and backstabbing. This issue has been resolved, we understand that people are not perfect, and we are working on making Funcom a better place to work and thrive.
Secondly, to address the "toxic project" comments, linked to low morale and pivots; with any project in any industry there are changes, there are revisions and there are updates, this is no different in game development at Funcom. In general, people do not like change...change is difficult to handle, but the reality is that change is needed at times. Here at Funcom, we have to change at times, we have to adjust to what is best for our projects, customers and for the studio as a whole. I am sorry that you had a difficult time adjusting to those changes on the project, we hope that by making those changes and pivots, our game will be amazing and successful. Low morale can spawn from making changes, however, we are working on showing the value of these changes to our team.
Third, regarding the mental breakdown comment, our typical workload is consistent with a 40 hour work-week. We have a Scandinavian mentality when it comes to a work-life balance, and we deliver on that. Dozens of other game development studios have employees working 70+ hour weeks, at Funcom we plan and strive for 40 hour work weeks. We also give all employees 25 days of PTO and we are flexible with life situations.
Fourth, I would like to address the "severely underpaid" comment, at Funcom we align our salaries with the cost of living , location and industry standards. We pride ourselves on offering competitive salaries in addition to an amazing package that includes fully paid benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, Long -term Disability, Life Insurance), 25 days of PTO, 8 Sick Days, 10 Paid Holidays, stock options, etc. Everyone always wants to be making "more" money, but here at Funcom most employees can agree that their salaries and the full compensation package are more than generous.
We are making changes here at Funcom to make this studio a great place to work and to produce great games. Change is inevitable, the only question is how people deal with change. I hope this explanation helps, I am always available to talk.
Paxton Galvanek
HR Manager
paxtong@funcom.com
