Pros

Compensation was what very competitive

Cons

did not like the hours and amount of free time

Pros

The studio used to have good projects, but they all are over now. The studio used to have many good professionals, but almost all of them have already left. Maybe if I stretch my memory I could come up with a couple of more points, but sadly enough - they won't compensate for all the negatives below.

Cons

Seniors are unforgivingly outdated and do not know what to do with the studio. They also never knew how to make games. All the good stuff that has ever been released by SD was made by people who have left away because of different reasons. The current day's studio "leadership" only know how to promise a "good tomorrow", but then abruptly cancel a project that you have worked on out of blue. Those who worked in the company - can confirm in private conversations that this has happened with more than 10 "projects" in the studio during the last few years. The industry is tight - ask around, and you will get some real info. For years company management has been hiring and promoting people who have no competence in the field, but only for being agreeable to management's opinions. This policy became so usual that no one even denies that fact and people can directly advise you about the "way" in which you can go up top. So if you are a "Yes-man" - you can go far. Skill in that case - doesn't matter. But if you are a true developer that loves his/her craftsmanship - you most likely will end up in the mid role with having some miserable and extremely incompetent manager. And because this is a commonly accepted culture in this studio - you will find those "managers" in literally every dev branch of every project. Shady behavioural patterns. Company leadership group representatives are bluntly lying about bonuses and then leave you with nothing totally ignoring their own promises regarding pay-outs. So if you still decide to go there you should not make mistake to trust any of their words about potential future benefits during the hiring process. Ask for bigger pay right away because most likely there will be no other form of compensation for your labour. You also should not be expecting any pay raise in any nearby time. They will find every possible excuse to neglect your financial requests. Be prepared that they will be able to completely get away with it because in the contract they will leave a loophole for escape stating that all the bonuses will be subject to their discretion. Studio culture is actively signalling SJW virtues, clearly trying to create a positive modern "all-inclusive" outlook face, obviously cosplaying big studios of US, thinking that it will create a better reputation in a community of players, and users and maybe will attract more money/professionals to the studio. But the problem is that as with everything on the top shelf of this studio this virtue signalling is completely fake. Once a year they will change the logo to rainbow colours in socials, but at the same time they would provide absolutely discriminatory policies regarding their own in house employees and their mental, physical and financial wellbeing. Toxic people in the studio are mostly concentrated in areas that are not affiliated with any game production. Almost every person that isn't gifted with any meaningful talent, hence that isn't directly developing any product in the studio - only can justify its existence by being a top boss boot-licker. On the other side - driven by envy, those creatures despise everyone who has the liberty of truly independent views, and holds the role without the necessity to be agreeable to headquarters. Those who worked in SD can unmistakenly tell who exactly are those bunch of lowlifes. They have caused not 1 dozen super talented people to leave the studio for good.