The PR expert Omeed Dariani is known to fans of MMORPGs. From 2012 to 2014, he was brand manager for MMORPGs such as Everquest. Later, he played a central role in the launch of Blade and Soul and the free-to-play launch of WildStar. Now, he is stepping down from his position as head of a streaming agency following allegations from an Overwatch employee.
How do MMORPG fans know Omeed Dariani? He was the “Director of Community and Social” at NCSoft in California from March 2015 to November 2016. During that time, he regularly appeared in MMORPG news:
- He led PR for the West launch of Blade and Soul
- He was responsible as PR head for the free-to-play launch of WildStar
- He was also the one who announced in 2016 what significant budget cuts would occur at WildStar, when many employees were laid off
Before that, he was the “Senior Brand Manager” for Sony Online Entertainment, which was also an MMORPG company. In that position, he introduced Everquest Next and explained how great it would all be.
This is what Dariani actually does: During his time at NCSoft and afterwards, Dariani built a streaming agency that manages many major Twitch streamers, including CohhCarnage.
He is the CEO of the “Online Performers Group”.
As a woman, you have to sleep your way up or end up on the blacklist
This is what he is being accused of: On June 20, Molly Ayala, Overwatch Community Lead, published her experiences with Omeed Dariani (via Twitlonger).
Ayala met him in 2014 at Pax Prime. At that time, he was in an important position at Sony Online Entertainment, the company behind Everquest.
Dariani allegedly told her in 2014 at Pax Prime that in the gaming industry, a woman gets ahead best by sleeping her way up. Dariani reportedly said: He knows women who have succeeded this way, but there are also women who ended up on a blacklist because they “didn’t do the right thing.”
Dariani then allegedly tried to persuade her to have a threesome with him and his wife. Ayala did not agree to this.
She states: She kept silent about the incident for 6 years, out of fear that she would “end up on a blacklist.” At that time, she was 24 and a young woman wanting to make a name for herself in the gaming industry. Now she no longer fears for her career, but is worried about the many young women in the industry.
She also learned of another incident in which a young woman almost experienced the same thing as she did in 2015.
Dariani would manipulate young women. Therefore, she is now going public with her story.
Dariani responds with tweet storm, gives general tips
This is what Dariani says about it: Even before Dariani directly addressed the allegations, he published 16 tweets talking about what it is like to work as a man in the gaming industry. How important it is to be considerate of women, and how “harmless jokes” can inflict deep wounds on women.
He even gives advice to men on how they should behave towards women:
- Don’t want to sleep with them – that solves all problems
- Don’t give gifts they don’t deserve – because they create obligations
- Treat them more respectfully the more powerful you are yourself
Only over an hour later did he then comment on the allegations from the Overwatch employee. He then said that this would be a good example. It seems improbable to him that he suggested to her to have a threesome with his wife, but – however – he probably communicated that in some form and unfortunately traumatized her for years.
The reactions to this tweet were disastrous. Some Twitter users commented that it was quite outrageous to first pretend to offer general tips, only to then come up with something like that and dismiss the accusations in such a manner.
Dariani steps down as head of agency – Twitch streamers flee from him
This is the consequence: A few hours later, Dariani stepped down from his position as CEO of the streaming agency. He also requested that his company not be punished immediately, as a lot of work and passion had gone into it.
However, many streamers subsequently left the agency, including Cohh Carnage.
#MeToo reaches gaming and streaming
What’s going on in the USA right now? Currently, numerous accusations from women against men who allegedly sexually harassed them in the past are surfacing in the gaming and streaming sector.
This seems to have been triggered by allegations against the Destiny 2 streamer “SayNoToRage”. In the last few hours, more and more accusations against well-known “powerful” figures in the gaming and streaming scene have emerged. This will apparently keep us occupied for some time.
