Weeks After Shutting Down, This Indonesian Game Asset Studio Is Under Fire For Workplace Abuse

Many folks may not know who Brandoville Studios is, but back in the day, the Indonesian art company was known for being part of Lemon Sky Studios before branching out on its own in 2020. Founded by Ken Lai, the game art company is known for creating game assets and artwork for high-profile titles like The Last of Us Part 1, Gears 5, Marvel Avengers, and Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Well, ex-game art company. The studio closed its doors mid-August. The rest of the site is accessible if you type in the correct URL, but the company is permanently closed.

Weeks after the closure, ex-employees of the defunct company have started sharing terrible working conditions and a ton of human rights violations.

Trigger warning: abuse, self-harm, all manners of disgusting behaviour from a leader of an organization.

Twitter user Bisher Dokkmak has shared a Google Drive/Canva link from ex-Brandoville employee Christa Sydney. The link contains photo evidence and proof revealing the abuse she and her colleagues (who have remained anonymous) have suffered under Brandoville co-owner Cherry Lai, who is the wife of CEO Ken Lai. In no particular order, Cherry Lai has subjected her employees to the following:

• Physical abuse and mental manipulation.
• Forcing her employee to slap herself as proof of self-punishment via a WhatsApp video.
• Forced resignation and unlawful firing of staff.
• Verbal abuse and shaming workers and colleagues in public.
• Work hour violations.
• Not allowing an employee to take leave even when their parents passed away.
• Forcing her employees to pay for their own work trips and work tools when it’s the company’s responsibility to do so.

This is abhorrent and should be dealt with in a court, Cherry Lai of Brandoville Studios abuse of her employees:https://t.co/7qudhxMY1E

Brandoville, formerly part of Lemon Sky, had a big scandal back in 2021 about the horrible working conditions

(Abuse & self harm)

— Bisher Dokkmak (@Bisher_d790) September 9, 2024

Testimony from another ex-employee who shall remain anonymous

This is really horrible ? pic.twitter.com/ZEr0POjaGp

— Bisher Dokkmak (@Bisher_d790) September 10, 2024

Testimony from an ex-employee:

1-Attendance / coming late rules..

2-No taking leave even our parent passed away

3-Ask employee to resign except the employee willing to received 5 million salary only, and ask other employee's salary 17 million as a punishment pic.twitter.com/YPa3kprl14

— Bisher Dokkmak (@Bisher_d790) September 11, 2024

Previously, the company was under fire for terrible working conditions and all manner of abuse back in 2021 thanks to a People Make Games video exposé. Even after that video, the company ended up being worse than before for three years straight before it shuttered its doors last month.

Even with the studio shut down, both Ken and Cherry Lai have opened up a new studio named Lailai Studios. The Facebook page has already seen tons of negative comments from the tea spilled above. This news is still developing, so we’ll be updating this if anything else pops up on Twitter/X regarding the studio formerly known as Brandoville.

[Update 14/9/2024]: Indonesian games association Asosiasi Games Indonesia (AGI) has made an official statement regarding Brandoville/Lailai Studios. AGI will be providing legal and medical aid to the victims, as well as blacklist the management behind Brandoville/Lailai Studios from any membership and events run by the association.

Official statement from AGI (Asosiasi Games Indonesia) regarding the abuse and harassment towards creative workers and game developers at Brandoville Studio done by the studio management, Ken Lai and Cherry Lai.

Source: AGI official Facebook account pic.twitter.com/eXh4fdzc9W

— Kris Antoni – Toge Productions (@kerissakti) September 13, 2024

If you are suffering workplace abuse or any form of bullying, head here for help.