The development of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has not gone to plan, a fact any fan of the LEGO franchise recognizes due to the game's multiple lengthy delays. Once planned for release in 2020, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has only just received a new release date as of mid-January 2022. Alongside the announcement comes the release of a new report confirming many's worst fears, alleging that developer TT Games has fostered an unhealthy work environment due in part to crunch culture and discrimination toward women.In a report published by Polygon, interviews with over 30 current and former anonymously sourced TT Games employees reveal deep problems within the LEGO game development studio. And while these problems have contributed to LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's issues, they apparently go back as far as TT Games' formation in 2005. It's the annual release schedule of LEGO games that's said to have led to a crunch culture "premeditated" by TT Games management.One employee says that the crunch culture at TT Games wasn't part of any "emergency protocol." Rather, periods of crunch were scheduled into regular development, required to meet immovable deadlines for holidays or film releases. The studio's acquisition in 2008 led to a survey revealing the lowest ratings for a development team Warner Bros. had seen. But another former employee says that low salaries, crunch culture, and project timeline issues didn't change.
These issues are said to have escalated during the development of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga in large part due to the decision to build the game on a new engine named NTT. After negative feedback provided a studio-wide meeting led to improved contracts with more holidays and larger bonuses, employees said little else changed in the company. LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga's size, frustrations with the engine, and multiple design revisions meant extensive periods of crunch. 40 employees, around 10% of TT Games' staff across studios, have reportedly left since the start of 2021.
Throughout these issues, women are also said to have faced discriminatory behavior including bullying, sexual harassment, and gender bias regarding pay and promotions. The report shows that TT Games ranks among the United Kingdom's worst game studios with regard to women's pay.
For the time being, the report doesn't imply that meaningful changes are coming to TT Games with the launch of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga or beyond. Employees are said to be shifted between projects constantly, meaning the issues with the Skywalker Saga are already occurring in TT Games' other unannounced projects, too.
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga releases April 5 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
Source: Polygon
