My last Hytale-related post... I’ve never been vocal about anything controversial or political. I’ve always kept my head down, focused on art, game dev, and supporting people around me. But after 4 years working on Hytale, I reached a point where I felt like I had to speak my own personal experience. Working at this studio was honestly exhausting. I’d share ideas or concerns and get brushed off, until someone with a more impressive title said the same thing, and suddenly it was treated like genius. When I challenged decisions that felt unproductive or inefficient, I was called 'difficult' or told I couldn't take feedback. It was also obvious some people were only there because of who they knew, not what they brought. I tried to suggest ways to lay proper groundwork and improve our workflow, but it was always dismissed if it wasn’t visually flashy or immediately showable, it just didn’t matter. The words 'burnout' and 'crunch' were thrown around like things we shouldn’t ever say, but in reality, there was constant pressure and late-stage work pushes … usually from last-minute requests. And if you couldn’t keep up, you just didn’t produce enough visuals to be seen as performing. The whole thing was gaslighting and over time, it made me question my value, my own knowledge, and eventually, I was just dreading to wake up and repeat. To be clear… there were a lot of wonderful, talented people I truly enjoyed working with during my time there. There were fun, meaningful moments, and teams and individuals who inspired me, supported me, and gave their best. This isn’t about everyone. It’s about a culture that slowly wore me down. I’ve been warned not to speak up and that sharing my experience could hurt former coworkers, or make me look unprofessional. I was told not to burn bridges, to stay quiet for the sake of my future. But the truth is, this experience drained me so deeply, I have no interest in keeping those bridges. If being honest about how toxic the experience truly was pushes some people or studios away, then they were never people I wanted to work with in the first place. Staying silent is part of the cycle — and I’m done with that. There are more ways to stay and work in this industry than staying silent and kissing big corporate ass. Thank you.