Wardogs studio checks the Steam accounts of their hires to make sure they're "passionate about FPS games" as "you wouldn't let me go and make Final Fantasy"

Bulkhead’s hiring policy makes the studio’s recruitment process unusually data‑driven. Executive director Joe Brammer says the company asks candidates to disclose their Steam hours and then verifies that they have logged significant time in FPS titles. Senior producer Kane Allard confirms the checks are meant to ensure new hires are “passionate about FPS games” before they begin work on the next big shooter. Brammer frames the practice as a safeguard against the costly anti‑cheat systems the studio is deploying for Wardogs, arguing that a team that lives the genre will better protect the player experience and justify the expense.

The move reflects a broader industry shift toward niche expertise and community‑centric development. As mid‑tier studios try to differentiate themselves from larger publishers, many are leaning on authentic player‑developer overlap to build credibility. Bulkhead’s stance mirrors practices at studios like Respawn or id Software, which historically hire heavily from the shooter community, but it goes a step further by making personal play data a formal hiring criterion. In an era where games are increasingly judged by live‑service performance and cheat‑prevention, having staff who already understand the meta‑game and community expectations could give Bulkhead a competitive edge, especially as it scales Wardogs from a breakout hit to a franchise.

The policy carries both upside and risk. On one hand, it may attract talent that can iterate quickly on shooter mechanics and anti‑cheat solutions, reinforcing Bulkhead’s brand as a “good guy” for FPS fans. On the other, it could narrow the talent pool, exclude skilled programmers or designers who lack Steam histories, and raise privacy concerns among applicants. Moreover, the reliance on genre‑specific passion may not translate to other development challenges, such as narrative design or cross‑genre experimentation. Watching how Bulkhead balances this hiring filter with broader skill requirements—and whether its anti‑cheat investments pay off in player retention—will be key indicators of the strategy’s sustainability.