Spiders studio is facing serious accusations from the developers of GreedFall 2: The Dying World.
Before the early-access release on September 24, workers at Spiders in Paris shared an open letter signed by 43 out of 95 employees. They want management to care more about employees and the company, especially after ignoring the studio’s labor movement. The letter encourages a strike from September 2-3, with plans to picket outside the office. Earlier this year, in January, many workers went on strike over work-from-home talks but management didn’t respond.
“Management gives the impression of treating us like galley slaves in the hold of a ship, rowing on and on without ever knowing either the route or the destination of their journey,” says the letter. “Spiders feels like a ship sailing with no one at the helm.”
The developers are upset about gender inequality at Spiders. They say only 17% of workers are women, but 41% of those leaving are women. Women also earn 14% less than men on average, and this gap has doubled since 2021. Despite having a woman CEO and being co-founded by a woman, Spiders struggles with gender parity.
“This sexist, hypocritical Spiders is not who we work for, and we’re ashamed of it,” states the letter.
The company has grown rapidly but its organization hasn’t kept pace. This has led to undone work and constant changes in decisions, causing delays and rollbacks.
“While a small team could function with little organization and maintain flexibility and responsiveness, the current size of the company no longer makes it possible,” mentions the letter. “We’re getting bogged down in complicated productions, which are struggling to find and implement solutions to the problems encountered, and are finding their deadlines increasingly impossible to meet without crunch or sloppy work, which is unsatisfying for everyone involved.”
Fans feel that clear communication is key for any team to function well.
The developers also talk about how these issues have caused anxiety and loss of interest among those working on GreedFall 2. The early access release date feels “painful,” and finishing everything within a year seems almost impossible.
Their demands include better transparency from management, simpler administrative processes, three days minimum work-from-home options per week, ending wage discrimination against women and non-binary people immediately, wage increases, and more.
GreedFall 2 is still set to launch in early access on Steam on September 24 with console versions planned too. The studio’s previous game was Steelrising released in 2022.
