While everyone is buzzing about Elden Ring, the game’s developer, FromSoftware, is currently under fire for how they treat their staff.
Employees at FromSoftware have complained about inadequate pay and working conditions dating back over a decade.
According to reports, FromSoftware, the Japanese firm behind the Souls franchise, has been treating its employees unfairly, including not paying overtime and denying women maternity leave.
On a Japanese job board called Career Connection, FromSoftware now has a 2.6 out of 5.0 overall rating, with scores of 2.2 for job satisfaction, 4.2 for workplace intensity, 2.6 for stress management, and 1.9 for compensation.
Employees at FromSoftware are said to work more than 40 hours of unpaid overtime each month on average.
Several employees have said that overtime has become far too common, with every department being required to work longer hours every day, including weekends and public holidays.
One employee addressed the way the woman are treated by saying:
“There are no special treatments for pregnancy and childcare. Most female employees who are about to give birth are expected to leave the company.” On top of this “it seems there was sexual harassment in the past.”
According to reports, the average annual income is only 3.4 million Japanese Yen, or roughly £22,000. That is a notably modest annual salary, given the company’s location in Tokyo, which has a fairly high cost of living.
Regarding remuneration, one worker said:
“The amount of compensation is very low in terms of the workload. The attrition rate at the company is extremely high.”
While some posts indicated that the corporation has “a lot of enthusiasm for games,” the more negative comments are concerning.
While Elden Ring received positive reviews, it’s vital to remember that no game can make up for a bad working atmosphere.
What is going to happen next? Will the corporation step up and take action now that several complaints of workplace concerns have been made public? Only time will tell, and we’ll be there to keep you updated on the newest developments, so stay tuned.