Appalling leadership, compounded by terrible management. - Anonymous employee A44 Games Employee Review

1.0
3 Sept 2020
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

- Team of incredibly talented developers who are passionate and genuinely wish to create something fun and memorable. - Flexible work hours.

Cons

- Management. The CEO surrounds himself with 'yes' men and upper management which are primarily built on the foundation of nepotism. - Lack of direction and vision. Combination of constantly changing direction from both CEO and 'Lead Designer' on a whim leads to massive time and work wasted, taking clear advantage on the passion and eagerness of the team. Scheduling gets muddied because of this and while crunch is not mandatory on paper, it is more than implied by management, this not only leads to low morale, but also overworked and underpaid employees. - Unprofessional/Cruel upper management. Instances of HR disrespecting ex-employees and even other studios in front of current members of the studio, while that in itself is professional uncouth, it creates a rocky, if not outright hostile environment, closing off any means of meaningful dialogue between studio staff and HR/upper management department. - Incredibly underpaid staff and shaky contract. Flat salary base is low as it is (relative to cost of living). There has been numerous instances of even some studio members who had been working since Ashen's development who are still earning around, if not lower, than competing studio's junior salary wages.

Explore other reviews about A44 Games

1.0
9 Nov 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The location is nice. Many of the lay people are pleasant and fun to work with.

Cons

Management has no clue how to manage their resources. A nasty tendency to hire people with one job title, then require work well outside of their original job description, and then wonder why the work isn't being done as efficiently as they thought it would be. Job hunters beware. If people aren't being let go, they are leaving at a pretty heavy rate. Low pay, which could be acceptable if not for the first point above. Upper management believes they know what made their last game remotely successful, but they have squandered capitalizing on any success by actively getting rid of anyone who doesn't agree with them. Management refuses to actively document, and changes their mind on key features on a whim. A minor positive - if you don't bring up a change you think is bad, they will forget about it in a week. Laughable deadlines for completion of features thanks to the previous point.

7
1.0
30 Jun 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Passionate and Friendly Colleagues – Worked alongside highly motivated, skilled, and supportive team members who made the daily work environment enjoyable.

Cons

Lack of Merit-Based Advancement – Career growth often depended on alignment with management rather than skills or performance, creating a "yes-man" culture. High Turnover of Experienced Employees – Many senior professionals who voiced constructive criticism were dismissed, leading to a loss of institutional knowledge. Unreliable Communication – Frequent changes in direction, broken promises, and inconsistent messaging from leadership created distrust and instability. Nepotism & Favoritism – Key positions were often filled based on personal relationships rather than qualifications, limiting fair opportunities for others.

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