Elden Ring Developers Compare Working at FromSoftware to Playing Dark Souls
Elden Ring is one of the biggest video game success stories of 2022, but now its developer, FromSoftware, is making headlines due to rumors of crunch and low wages at the development studio.
Acquisition of FromSoftware’s latest title Widespread critical acclaimand its quality is Reflected in sales chartThis game has penetrated the mainstream greatly, The biggest game ever launched on YouTube.
Unfortunately, as with many highly successful AAA video game titles, conversations about the crisis, long overtime hours, and low wages surrounding developer FromSoftware didn’t take long.
The discussion began in March, shortly after the release of Elden Ring.first discovered by gamera handful of FromSoftware employees career connection Discuss poor working conditions and low wages.
For context, Career Connection is essentially a Japanese version of Glassdoor that allows current or former employees to leave employer reviews to inform prospective applicants about the company’s working conditions.
FromSoftware’s reviews left on Career Connection were from 2012 to 2019, and FromSoftware’s employee satisfaction rating was 2.6 out of 5 stars. Employee reviews cite low compensation for workload, 40 months of overtime per month, and no maternity leave.
A few months after people started noticing bad reviews for FromSoftware, GamesIndustry.biz Revealed more stories from FromSoftware employees about what it’s like to work at an Elden Ring developer. According to the report, multiple sources say he actually has “some degree of crunching” with FromSoftware.
The degree of crunch in the studio seems to vary from department to department. Little overtime was needed, according to one of his GamesIndustry.biz sources.
Also, there was a voice saying, “During the critical period of the game’s release, I often had to go to work early in the morning and work overtime for two to three months.”
Overtime pay is only half the normal hourly wage, according to one source, which is different from most Japanese companies, where hourly wages typically go up after hours.
FromSoftware employees also spoke about low wages at the studio. A source said their “salaries aren’t good enough,” adding that their colleagues feel the same way. Just under $5000.
Note that the yen is currently very weak against the dollar, so a direct conversion from yen to US dollars may not be a complete representation of employee compensation. However, FromSoftware operates in Tokyo, where the cost of living is higher than most other places in Japan.
Even with a few negative accounts, other FromSoftware employees said working at the studio was a great experience. It’s a lot of struggle to get it right, but it’s very satisfying when you get over the hump.It’s like defeating a boss in Dark Souls.”
Elden Ring publisher Bandai Namco has announced pay increases for all its employees following the success of Elden Ring, so we’ll see if FromSoftware follows suit by raising the salaries of the developers behind the game. is needed.
Logan Plant is a freelance writer for IGN covering video game and entertainment news. He has over 6 years of experience in the games industry and has bylines for IGN, Nintendo Wire, Switch Player Magazine and Lifewire. Find him on Twitter @LoganJPlant.
