Fullbright is currently developing its new game, Open Roads, but it has not been without its problems.

The development of Open Roads, the new narrative film from Fullbright, the creators of Gone Home and Tacoma, is having a difficult time. The problem is the toxic and discriminatory atmosphere created by the studio’s director Steve Gaynor. Since development began, 15 employees have left the company, ten of them women.

Polygon has access to the testimonies of 12 former employees of the studio, who spoke anonymously about how Gaynor’s behaviour towards employees led them to quit as their only option. The ex-employees described Gaynor as a controlling person who made Fullbright a place where they constantly felt belittled. Employees admitted that they feared being blacklisted by the industry if they spoke out about the attitude of their boss, who was otherwise popular in the industry (the biggest problem with talented creatives who are also psychopaths – and that’s putting it mildly)

Some former Fullbright employees say they have left the industry altogether. Their testimonies state that they did not specifically experience or witness sexual harassment or explicit sexism but complain that the studio’s messages to users were designed to create the appearance of inclusiveness. At the same time, female employees were subjected to a series of microaggressions.

Fullbright confirmed that Gaynor had resigned in March as “women were leaving the company”. They then sought to resolve the situation by attempting to improve the working environment while Steve Gaynor was still in charge. The studio spoke of “drastic measures to improve the health of the team”. They also talked about their relationship with Annapurna Interactive. This company funded the game and confirmed that Annapurna was aware of the situation and helped restructure the studio.

Steve Gaynor has written an open letter to Polygon apologising for his attitude as project manager and calling his behaviour towards the people at Fullbright “offensive”. This echoes what former studio employees have told us about their experiences developing various titles, complaining that although all the staff were close and supportive, believing in the project as something beautiful that the team had created, they felt Gaynor was incapable of being a team player.

Steve Gaynor, the typical male chauvinist

Through this article, we can also learn about the situation of the women in senior positions at Fullbright and their relationship with Gaynor. Working with him was described as a constant stream of microaggressions. They said that their work was made difficult because they constantly had to approve the minor details and that Gaynor constantly belittled and discredited them.

“His weapon of choice was to laugh at people but also to embarrass them publicly,” said a former employee. Six other former employees confirmed these facts. However, the size and structure of the company made it very difficult to report these abuses, as there was no human resources department within the company to turn to for help.

Some employees who could not report the situation took various steps to bring it to Annapurna’s attention, such as leaving notes on the company’s server. Statements from members who left the studio were also sent to Annapurna and a letter sent directly to Annapurna by another employee. Between 2020 and 2021, recruitment became complicated after the departure of staff. Polygon sources confirmed several qualified women were hesitant to be hired because of fears about how Gaynor would treat them.

Several employees admitted that they had to go to therapy after their time at Fullbright because they felt they had changed after their time in the studio and described themselves as being ‘consumed’ by Gaynor. On the other hand, the middle managers regretted leaving because they felt they had let down those for whom they had acted as a ‘buffer’ (cushioning the pressure on the workers – ed.). Although Gaynor is no longer at the helm of Open Roads, he is still involved in the project as a writer, although he no longer maintains contact with the rest of the Fullbright team.

The fact that Gaynor plays a vital role in the game’s writing is a concern for some former collaborators on the project, who complain that a man who can constantly belittle the women around him should not be writing a story about a man mother and daughter. “It makes me sick to my stomach to think that someone who treats women this way in real life – and has no apparent intention of stopping – can still write a story for a game about women,” one former Fullbright employee exclaimed. And rightly so.

Source: Polygon