Report: Studio behind the Lego Star Wars games plagued with crunch and other issues

pcinvasion.com:

As evidenced by the copious amount of Lego games that have come out over the past several years, titles based on one of the most prolific toy companies in the world remain enormously popular. Much of this success has to do with Lego games’ family-friendly approach to design, which can make them remarkably relaxing titles to play. With Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga releasing on April 5, that seems more true than ever. Unfortunately, a recent report by Polygon suggests that the process of making these games has proven anything but relaxing. Apparently, the developers at TT Games have undergone extensive crunch trying to complete the upcoming Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and this represents a recurring problem within the company.

According to the report, over 20 former and current employees at TT Games, all of whom are anonymous, have told Polygon about the studio’s crunch culture, tight schedules, and archaic development tools. So far, the higher-ups have supposedly ignored employees’ requests for change, and these persistent issues led to many workers becoming overwhelmed and stressed. Apparently, a few employees have even labeled these experiences as “PTTSD.”

Although the development of Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has lasted longer than the usual Lego project, clocking in at around five years, this supposedly did not meaningfully improve TT Games’ crunch problem. The change in management and staff turnover that occurred during The Skywalker Saga’s development apparently did not help matters. Additionally, employees reportedly informed management about the risks associated with switching to their new NTT engine, but these warnings went unheeded.

Polygon’s sources claim that TT Games’ crunch culture has