Call of Duty: Black Ops developer Treyarch has responded to a Kotaku report in which numerous developers reveal what they describe as a brutal work environment. Studio heads Dan Bunting and Mark Gordon released an email to staff in the wake of the report, informing employees that they are planning `significant improvements` for work-life balance.The email goes on to state that Treyarch plans to improve working conditions through `better project planning, streamlined production processes, and rigorous decision-making timelines.` Bunting and Gordon added that they are committed to `increased transparency.`The studio heads encouraged developers to speak with their managers if they have concerns, and if that doesn`t work, they should reach out to Bunting and Gordon.`Game development is a wildly complex art and it requires a diverse set of people and skill sets to do it successfully. It`s important for all of us to foster a studio culture that treats all team members with respect,` the pair said.In the report, which is titled `The Human Cost Of Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4,` numerous current and former developers shine a light on how Treyarch`s contract employees, in particular those working in quality assurance (QA), say they are treated as second-class.The developers say they are informed not to speak with developers from other units and that they have to park in a separate parking lot. They also reported working extended hours; around 70 hours per week.In addition to complaints about crunch and general workplace conditions, the report reveals key details about the development of Black Ops 4. It`s reported that management decided to cancel the game`s campaign mode in early 2018. This was a tough blow for the developers, as their previous game, Black Ops 3, reportedly saw a big shift in direction, too; a planned open-world design was dropped in favor of a standard linear story.Black Ops 4`s campaign was to feature a new spin on co-op and multiplayer with two players fi ...
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