Life is Strange developer Dontnod will make remote working a permanent fixture

Life is Strange developer Dontnod Entertainment is introducing a permanent remote working policy to help staff strike a better work-life balance.

The French company explained that employees in both Paris and Montreal will now be able to choose between working from home or working in-house as they see fit.

The decision comes after Dontnod held an internal referendum in October 2020 to see whether employees would get behind a 'Fully Remote Organisation' (FROG) scheme that would permit more flexible work routines. According to the studio, the move was favoured by 87 percent of its workforce.

Under the FROG system, employees can choose between 'Remote Mode' and 'Office Mode,' but will be able to revise their decision if they have a change of heart. As the names suggest, Remote Mode allows staff to work from home (with Dontnod providing the necessary equipment), while Office Mode will permit more traditional office work, but also includes a package of remote working days.

Dontnod HR director Matthieu Hoffmann hopes the shift will allow the studio to expand its recruitment efforts across the entirety of France and Quebec, helping to diversify and widen the company's talent pool in the process.

"During the crisis, we had to quickly adapt our work processes and communication tools to ensure efficient organization and continued connection for all our employees," commented Hoffmann in a press release.

"Although some thought had been given prior to the health crisis, we realized that working from home is a work mode that is more suitable for some people, as it offers a work-life balance adapted to their needs. So, we designed the FROG program to offer the best working conditions, regardless of the preferred mode."

The news comes not long after Dontnod announced plans to move into third-party publishing. The French company also picked up a $36.3 million investment from Tencent earlier this year.