Japanese development studio FromSoftware is quite well-known at this point, having released multiple smash-hit titles such as Dark Souls, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and its latest title, Elden Ring, but it would seem as though working there can be just as challenging as playing one of its notoriously difficult games, or so one employee reportedly claims. They stated that working long hours is "kind of tense," and it can be a struggle to get things right, but once you do, it is quite satisfying. "It's just like you defeated a boss in Dark Souls."
The statement comes from an investigative report over at gamesindustry.biz, in which multiple former and current employees at FromSoftware were interviewed to find out more about the company's overtime culture and overall employee satisfaction. Due to the studio apparently not permitting employees to do interviews, all chose to remain anonymous.
One source first wanted to express that, when it came to overworking, the Japanese gaming industry "is not that crazy," compared to other fields. They elaborated that Japan has a lot of holidays and that FromSoftware specifically has a rule that staff "shouldn't stay later than 10pm, and 90% of the time, staff won't stay later than 9pm." Though this doesn't sound too convincing of an argument against overtime, job listings over at FromSoftware's website show that office hours begin at 10am over there, rather than the traditional 8am or 9am.
Multiple sources did agree, however, that there is "some level of crunching" at FromSoftware, particularly when a game was close to release. One employee claimed that they "often had to work early mornings and overtime for two to three months." Though one employee was quick to defend their company, making a point to say that "it's not as if [crunch] happens on a daily basis."
What employees seem to be more upset about is their salary. One source claimed that, compared to the cost of living in Tokyo, where FromSoftware is headquartered, the salary was "not adequate," and that it looked like many others felt the same way. Overtime specifically was said to be "included in the salary," the only exception being when employees work past midnight, after which every extra hour gets paid at half the usual hourly rate. The previously mentioned job listings tout a monthly salary of 220,000 Yen (approximately $1,590).
But despite that, employee satisfaction is seemingly high. As per gamesindustry.biz, even those that criticized certain aspects of the company gave positive accounts of their experience there. The person who compared it to Dark Souls specifically did so to state how rewarding it was to "get over the hump." Another source said that, at FromSoftware, "you can work with co-workers that are so talented and passionate about creating a video game."