Tigers are not getting enough meat: Steel Division developer studio fired six striking employees

Founded in 2000, the French studio Eugen Systems is known for real-time strategies Steel Division: Normandy 44, Act of Aggression, and the Wargame series.

Founded in 2000, the French studio Eugen Systems is known for real-time strategies Steel Division: Normandy 44, Act of Aggression, and the Wargame series.

According to a press release from the independent trade union STJV, the six employees who were fired from the studio constituted almost a quarter of the total workforce at Eugen Systems. It is known that at the beginning of 2018, the studio employed 50 people.

The employees announced a strike at the beginning of the year, claiming that the management was paying them less than the minimum stipulated in their contracts. The situation continued for over a month and a half, and negotiations reached an impasse. STJV and about 15 employees are taking the case to the French labor tribunal in March 2019. Eugen Systems states that the recent dismissals are unrelated to the ongoing dispute, and that the employees negatively affected the studio's morale. STJV claims that the dismissals are “an act of retaliation and a preemptive step by the management.”

“Low wages are a serious problem in the French gaming industry. This is especially felt by game developers working in Paris, which is one of the most expensive cities in the world. Eugen Systems studio is located in the center of Paris,” STJV comments.