According to numerous reports, crunch (the practice of overworking employees to reach project deadlines, often to the detriment of an employee’s health) is a massively pervasive issue in the video game industry. Accusations allege that studios like Mortal Kombat’s NetherRealm, Fortnite’s Epic Games, and Grand Theft Auto’s Rockstar (among many others) all practice at least some amount of crunch, leading to increased calls for unionization across the industry. It’s become an issue that even the biggest of executives are forced to acknowledge, and on this month’s episode of IGN Unfiltered, Bethesda director Todd Howard shared his thoughts on the relationship between crunch and the studio that’s brought us The Elder Scrolls and modern Fallout.
Source: IGN.com Todd Howard Reflects on Crunch at Bethesda and Across Industry