The compensation and ownership policy prevents opaque reward allocation, credit disputes, and end-of-project pressure that leads to crunch.
Compensation Bands#
Every role has a transparent compensation band with level, region, employment type, and review cadence. Bands are reviewed annually, after material market changes, and after acquisition or major funding events. Exceptions require HR, finance, and studio GM approval.
Bonus, Equity, And Royalty Structure#
The bonus, equity, and royalty structure is documented before launch, reviewed annually, and communicated to permanent staff and eligible contractors in writing. Eligibility, proration, performance criteria, shipped-product criteria, and payout timing are recorded before the work period begins.
Product Credits#
Credits are allocated per shipping product using documented criteria:
- months worked on the product
- contribution quality and discipline impact
- leadership or ownership role
- external studio or contractor status
- replacement, backfill, or inherited work attribution
Credit disputes route to HR/people operations, production leadership, and the independent ombudsperson. No one loses credit for taking PTO, using mental health support, declining crunch, or reporting harassment.
Annual Review#
Finance, HR, production, and legal review compensation bands, bonus/equity terms, royalty terms, and credit allocation rules annually and after each shipping milestone.