About Bulkhead
What is Bulkhead?
Bulkhead is a Derby, UK-based AAA FPS game studio with the explicit ambition to "shake up the FPS genre." Founded in 2015 by six developers, the studio has grown into a 100+ person team through a decade of crafting ambitious shooter experiences. Bulkhead's track record includes The Turing Test (2016 puzzle game) and Battalion 1944 (2019 multiplayer shooter), and Killrun (2022). In 2022, Bulkhead was acquired by Splash Damage (the UK studio behind Brink, Dirty Bomb, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection PC port), and the company rebranded to Bulkhead in 2024.
The current flagship project is Wardogs — "an all-out-warfare multiplayer first person shooter. That means infantry combat, tank warfare, jet dog fighting, and artillery barrages." Bulkhead has been named one of the UK's Best Places to Work by GamesIndustry.biz two years in a row — "a reflection of our incredible development team and their relentless passion for WARDOGS! It's their award."
Where will I work?
Bulkhead operates on-site from Derby, UK in a modern Cardinal Square workspace. The studio runs an in-person, collaborative environment — "in-person collaboration" is named explicitly as part of the studio ethos. Most current roles are listed as Derby-based, with occasional FTC remote opportunities (e.g. Senior Gameplay Engineer FTC Remote).
What is the Bulkhead team like?
Bulkhead's identity is a "game first" culture — "in-person collaboration, open development and showcasing each other's successes with truly memorable team socials to celebrate key development milestones." The team playtests Wardogs twice a week, so engineers, designers, and artists get continuous direct feedback on what they're building.
The 10-year journey is a story of organic growth: 6 devs (2014/2015) → 50 devs (2017) → 70 devs (2020) → 100+ today. The Splash Damage acquisition in 2022 secured the long-term vision while the team retained its independent identity. Open disciplines: Engineering, Production, Operations (including IT Systems and Junior IT Support).
Work-Life Balance
Bulkhead operates a 4-day work week at full pay — 32 hours/week — alongside generous annual leave that scales with job title. The studio's framing on family is direct: "We care that your family is looked after." Salary transparency is the norm — JDs publicly disclose salary bands (e.g. £45,000–£70,000 for Senior Gameplay Engineer).
Perks and Benefits
- 4-day work week at full pay (32 hours)
- Private health care for you and your family
- Private dental care for you and your family
- Discounted gym memberships
- Salary transparency — bands disclosed in JDs (e.g. £45-70K Senior Gameplay Engineer)
- Memorable team socials to celebrate development milestones
- Twice-weekly playtests on Wardogs — direct feedback loop
- Splash Damage backing since 2022 — long-term project security