The new action role-playing game Diablo 4 is receiving much praise and recognition after the first closed beta. Blizzard is back in form. But some users say: It is unacceptable to forgive Blizzard for all scandals and wrongdoings just because they make a good game. Gaming journalist and scandal exposer Jason Schreier is a target of this criticism – but he sees it quite differently.
This is the situation: In July 2021, allegations were made against gaming company Activision Blizzard, claiming there was systemic sexism. The situation escalated for months, new allegations against the company kept emerging:
- Female employees were said to have been discriminated against – paid less, given fewer promotion opportunities, targeted by sexual harassment
- The culture of a fraternity prevailed in the company: Male employees would drink during working hours and make women do their work
- The worst accusation of the lawsuit: A woman was driven to suicide in “a tragic example of sexual harassment,”
- The company’s leadership, especially CEO Bobby Kotick, had been aware of it all, but swept it under the rug
- Attempts by Activision Blizzard to resolve the issue failed. Initially, they brusquely denied everything. Later, they fired the head of Blizzard and promoted a duo of a man and a woman to the top of the studio. But Jen O’Neal resigned shortly thereafter when she realized she was being paid less than her male counterpart
- The employees of Activision Blizzard demanded the resignation of CEO Bobby Kotick and criticized the board for standing so firmly by Kotick’s side
How did it end? Activision Blizzard maintained the narrative that there had indeed been problems at Blizzard in the past. But these problems were in the past. Today everything is much better:
- They fired the head of Blizzard and some problematic employees
- Kotick renounced parts of his salary, but definitely did not give up his position as CEO
- They also paid some millions $ to settle the case
- Essentially, they just waited out the problems
Ultimately, they agreed to sell the company to Microsoft (of course for completely different reasons) and more or less ended the discussion about sexual harassment.
Diablo 4 is well-received – Even celebrated by critical journalists
This is now the discussion: Following the open beta of Diablo 4, some prominent gaming journalists who had reported critically about Blizzard have now shown enthusiasm for the beta:
- Especially Jason Schreier from Bloomberg (formerly Kotaku) wrote: The game is great, he will spend many hours of his life in Diablo 4
This sparked resistance on Twitter. One user wrote: “I enjoyed the 5 seconds in which we stood together against Activision/Blizzard.” The tweet has so far reached 1.6 million views, making it quite significant. Many share this view.
The idea behind the tweet is:
- Gaming journalists act as if they are socially engaged and would stand against a company when it behaves immorally
- But when the studio makes a good game, the protest quickly fades away and everything is fine again
- Therefore, such criticism is not to be taken seriously – gaming journalists lose their credibility when they first criticize problems in the companies and then celebrate the games of the same company
Many agree with this criticism under the tweet. It is also said that gaming journalists do not follow moral standards but are just chasing “the next paycheck.” Schreier is criticized as “industry-friendly.” Some express disappointment in him.
A gaming developer also speaks up and says: It is okay to enjoy the work of “hardworking developers” while simultaneously calling on the bosses to improve working conditions. Both are not mutually exclusive.
Journalist says: Boycott does not work – Change must come from workers
This is what Jason Schreier says about it: Jason Schreier has been regarded as one of the most renowned gaming journalists in the West for many years, with good contacts in the industry. He has repeatedly exposed grievances in the gaming industry, such as the appalling and burdensome conditions under which EA’s shooter Anthem was created or the problems with Cyberpunk 2077.
Schreier does not want to accept the accusation of ignoring all problems as soon as Blizzard makes a good game.
Schreier says: Anyone who wants can avoid games, there is no need for a reason. That is everyone’s right. But a “boycott” is not a sign of solidarity with the employees – unless they themselves call for a boycott.
But the employees at Blizzard, from what he has seen and heard, have not called for a boycott, but for exactly the opposite.
To solve problems in the industry, workers need to organize, take drastic measures if necessary, and fight as hard as they can together. It is helpful if customers stand on the sidelines, applaud, and participate in actions when workers call for it, but that’s about it.
When addressed that Activision Blizzard is particularly bad because a woman committed suicide, Schreier responds:
- The big difference between Activision Blizzard and other companies is that other companies settled their legal disputes out of court before they became public.
- The difference between Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft, EA, Riot Games, Sony, Microsoft, or other companies that have also faced allegations of sexual harassment is actually just that it is easier for many to attack Blizzard.
A boycott of a game would not lead to a change in the behavior of the company bosses, but to the realization: “Our workers did poorly and delivered a flop.”
The case is reminiscent of Hogwarts Legacy, where some called for a boycott of the game:
A German Twitch streamer calls for a boycott against Hogwarts Legacy
