More than 50% of Paradox Interactive employees are said to be considering leaving the company. Moving away from remote work is to blame
Paradox Interactive is one of many publishers slowly moving away from remote work, which isn't popular among its employees.
More than half of the employees at Paradox Interactive are considering leaving the company after an unpopular decision to return to office work.
One of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was the popularization of remote work, including in the gaming industry. This shift was beneficial for people who, for various reasons, had difficulties working in an office setting. The thing is, it wasn't really convenient for the publishers or even the studios, because online discussions just don't compare to talking in person.
That's why more and more companies, including those in the gaming industry, are organizing so-called "return to the office" initiatives, which, in fact, force employees to give up remote work. This decision was made by companies like Rockstar Games and Paradox Interactive, but it wasn't without issues, as demonstrated by the case involving a Cloud Imperium Games employee last year, along with concerns from the Grand Theft Auto series developers and Ubisoft staff.
Hybrid work is outdated
Paradox began a return to remote work in February this year, following an announcement from late 2024 (via Game Developer) and after several years of working in a hybrid mode. This allowed for partial work outside the office, provided that the employee showed up at the studio three times a week. Such a system was supposed to be well-received by the developers, allowing them to communicate live when needed, while reducing costs associated with commuting, childcare, etc.
However, Paradox has now limited this option, requiring presence 4 times a week, and by September 2025, the company was to switch to a full remote work week. It seems like the employees didn't take it well, and it was implemented in a "chaotic" way, at least according to what the GD editorial team found out.
As Paradox CEO Mattias Lilja put it when asked for a comment, being in the office is seen as the default expectation, not just a matter of preference. At most, the company will offer more flexible work hours due to the "individual circumstances" of each employee, and remote employees living outside of Stockholm won't be forced to "relocate" near the Paradox office.
Lilja added that the company is ready to change plans in case of a "clearly negative impact" of these decisions. We didn't have to wait long for this one, at least according to GD's interlocutors.
Stationary productivity?
After the announcement of these plans and a meeting with employees (during which it was stated that there would be no "voting" and the company "must find a way to work more productively"), a survey conducted by the Unionen and SACO trade unions showed that over 54% of employees were considering changing jobs, with 20% already actively looking for new employment at that time.
During the previously mentioned "town hall" meeting (which involves gatherings with all employees), the remote workers clearly indicated through emojis that they are unhappy with Paradox's plans. The management was prevented from moving on to other topics, resulting in another meeting being scheduled, which ultimately didn't happen, although the relevant information was communicated by the managers.
Representatives of the mentioned trade unions also expressed resistance, mainly in the context of safety, and the initiation of discussions on this subject only after the announcement of moving away from the hybrid work model.
The employees are also not convinced whether hybrid work actually limits the "productivity" of Paradox branches. Many are expecting mass departures this summer, as soon as the employed developers receive their profit-sharing payouts and return from their summer vacations. This may even include key employees, which wouldn't be without impact on the quality of Paradox's games.
Mattias Lilja believes that we will see the actual impact of these changes within 12-18 months. After such time, it will become clear whether Paradox's decision was right, or if the employees' concerns will be confirmed.
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