Great coworkers, horrendous management - Anonymous employee 31st Union Employee Review

2.0
27 July 2023
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Many, many individuals at 31U are truly wonderful and immensely talented people that are an absolute pleasure to know.

Cons

The majority of the highest level of management is an incredible display of nepotism and is full of individuals wholly unequipped to hold positions at that level. Company does a lot of song and dance on diversity and inclusion but routinely shoots down the feedback of the female/ POC/ LGBTQ+ employees it claims to value the opinions of. Much of upper management is disorganized and does a poor job of setting expectations. On the seldom occasion clear guidelines were given, the goal posts were almost certain to shift. Beware buzzwords and phrases such as “fast paced” and “dynamic environment”- there is a substantial difference between a dynamic environment and pure disorganization. 31U is the latter. During my time there, a substantial amount of people left the studio in a very short time period. As much as the studio claims to be something unique and special in the gaming industry, it’s more a stereotype than the exception.

Explore other reviews about 31st Union

5.0
31 July 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Amazing team to work with Lots of room to solve problems without dictated solutions Strong leadership Creative team who is focused on finding the fun; both in the game and with each other

Cons

Direction can be nebulous at times Shifting goals and make priorities hard to understand

2.0
13 Feb 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The project itself is genuinely interesting and creatively exciting. Talented and supportive peers across disciplines. Good work-life balance overall. Strong benefits package.

Cons

The main challenge is leadership quality and structural transparency. There is a significant gap between expectations and actual support. Promotion criteria exist, but opportunities to meet those criteria are not consistently provided. Growth paths feel theoretical rather than practical, and promotions appear VERY unlikely in practice. Communication from immediate leadership can be unclear and reactive. Direction is often vague, while expectations remain high. Employees are expected to operate effectively in ambiguity, yet there is limited effort from leadership to reduce that ambiguity or provide concrete direction. This dynamic can lead to confusion being reframed as individual weakness rather than a structural issue. Initiative is sometimes filtered or redirected rather than supported, which discourages proactive thinking over time. It can feel safer to wait for direction than to take ownership. There is also a noticeable political layer, alignment and narrative control seem to matter more than clarity or ownership. Additionally, departures of experienced team members have felt abrupt and not transparently communicated, which contributes to a sense of instability.

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