Last week, Worms developer and indie game publisher Team17 brought the ire of the internet upon itself as bosses attempted to launch a range of collectible Worms NFTs. But while the reveal, swift condemnation and embarrassing backtrack have all now passed, employees at the developer’s main Wakefield and Nottingham sites remain stunned. They say the incident reflects a company out of touch with its staff – and which is yet to say sorry to team members left in the internet’s firing line.
Speaking to Eurogamer under condition of anonymity to protect their careers, more than a dozen employees have said they felt let down by how Team17 handled the announcement, and that the company’s refusal to listen to staff concerns has added additional pressure to a workforce already worn thin. Team members I spoke to – fiercely loyal to their colleagues and proud of the work they do – were aghast at the public drubbing the company’s name got last week, and say they have become increasingly upset by the decisions of management over the past few years, as workloads have risen while pay has remained poor.
Team17 staff past and present confirm the company has recently been shedding team members, as many are fed up by low salaries, long hours, and concerns around HR and upper management. Team17’s public Glassdoor page paints a similar picture, with many one-star reviews over the past six months and a further flurry after last week. Now, rather than brush the NFT blunder under the carpet, Team17 members have told Eurogamer they need to speak out on a range of issues that bosses have to both acknowledge and improve.
Eurogamer laid out the concerns raised in this report to Team17 and invited the company to respond to a set of points individually. Yesterday, in response, a Team17 spokesperson provided the following statement, which is printed below in full. (At the same time, Team17 warned staff that an “extensive and negative” article would be published, which would “impact teams across our studios and offices”. Team17 staff reflected to Eurogamer that this alert had been given with far more notice than that of the NFT reveal last week.)