Blizzard Employee Letter to Leadership, Other Responses to Lawsuit

[arkanon]

I would go as far as to say that this is a matter beyond chosing to support Blizzard or not; it is a matter of people having no sense of self-respect, going so far as to accept an employee of Blizzard telling them that players are part of the problem. These players would rather blame another player, who is there for the game, than the dev of a company that harbored this culture, simply because the dev has got a facade of empathy, shock and grief going on Twitter. Wether someone choses to give their money to Blizzard or not is, as you've already written multiple times, an individual choice.

The fact that a Blizzard dev gets a green pass for daring to even insinuate that Blizzard's playerbase is part of the problem is beyond astounding. In fact, any single one of us is completely free and entitled to saying that we're here for the games, not issues of sexual harassment, without having to see a barrage of insulting classifications being flung about; we're also entitled to say that it doesn't concern us in the least bit and that the state of the game concerns us the most, which most of us won't say in the first place, but that is beyond the point.

Players aren't allowed to express their own concerns without being called egregious things by other players, who are taking the liberty to classify others into offender and criminal groups at a whim. This same standard doesn't apply for a Blizzard dev however, who is allowed to deflect from a culture he was a silent observer in, at the very least.

I think the most important thing to remember about these devs suddenly trying to take some moral high ground is - they have only JUST started to speak up now - for years they have been aware of the alleged harassment and abuse, and have remained silent. Now that the cat is out of the bag, they are desperately trying to find some high ground, and the easiest target for them is the faceless, nameless players.

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I just wonder what backlash this will have for warchief gaming and creephaven as a lot of the old guard are in those companies.

Most of the backlash in this thread is aimed at the dev blaming the players for their own toxic and revolting culture of abuse and harassment, and suddenly trying to claim some moral high ground, but only after being called out for their own mistakes.

[DingDongKing]

Based reply right here.

It's really not. Associating pronouns with bios to players leaving for FFXIV literally makes no sense. Not to mention this guy is talking about someone else being a coward, yet he's shit talking people whilst hiding behind an anonymous online handle. But hey, it's abundantly clear that people would rather go 'NYAAH WHERE MA CONTENT' and not realise this is a company in severe turmoil. And if anything, they need to cop out to it, shut up shop and sort their shit. Freeze subs in the meanwhile so people don't cry about 'WHERE MA CONTENT' and come back clean. Will be better for everyone.

[MoanaLisa]

Hah Alex Klontzas made his Twitter account private and you cannot access his tweet anymore. Looks like the customers took his comment very well.

Seeing threats or fantasizing about physical harm will do that. We've had some of that here. I can't even imagine what Twitter must have been like.

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I just wonder what backlash this will have for warchief gaming and creephaven as a lot of the old guard are in those companies.

Little if any effect for Warchief since that's a table-top thing and somewhat distanced from this. By the time they get anything out this will have quieted down. I don't know if I can say the same thing for Dreamhaven since I suspect there are multiple people there that had a say about retaliatory culture, gender-based pay disparity and other things in the suit other than physical harassment not least of which is Morhaime himself. It's been curious: the emphasis here and elsewhere has been on the rather terrible but made-for-tabloid-media stuff. The other stuff in the lawsuit that I mentioned above is potentially far more serious for the long term for Blizzard. I do hope it all comes out because so many people are still treating Morhaime as some sort of saint and I don't think that's warranted.

One caveat to that: If Metzen is named as one of the ten so-far anonymous ("Does" in the lawsuit) defendants then all bets are off.

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I think the most important thing to remember about these devs suddenly trying to take some moral high ground is - they have only JUST started to speak up now - for years they have been aware of the alleged harassment and abuse, and have remained silent. Now that the cat is out of the bag, they are desperately trying to find some high ground, and the easiest target for them is the faceless, nameless players.

Depending on their position in the company a retaliatory culture as described in the lawsuit should be taken into consideration. That, of course, is not true for the top people that HR was apparently defending. I don't agree with it but not reporting a situation that will likely derail your job and career if the word gets around is something to take into account. Most of the statements striving for a high moral ground, as you put it, haven't come from developers as such. They've come from founders and management.

[Kellorion]

https://www.change.org/p/activision-...ard/u/29386687

Please please please, read, share and sign

[Adamas102]

I would go as far as to say that this is a matter beyond chosing to support Blizzard or not; it is a matter of people having no sense of self-respect, going so far as to accept an employee of Blizzard telling them that players are part of the problem. These players would rather blame another player, who is there for the game, than the dev of a company that harbored this culture, simply because the dev has got a facade of empathy, shock and grief going on Twitter. Wether someone choses to give their money to Blizzard or not is, as you've already written multiple times, an individual choice.

The fact that a Blizzard dev gets a green pass for daring to even insinuate that Blizzard's playerbase is part of the problem is beyond astounding. In fact, any single one of us is completely free and entitled to saying that we're here for the games, not issues of sexual harassment, without having to see a barrage of insulting classifications being flung about; we're also entitled to say that it doesn't concern us in the least bit and that the state of the game concerns us the most, which most of us won't say in the first place, but that is beyond the point.

Players aren't allowed to express their own concerns without being called egregious things by other players, who are taking the liberty to classify others into offender and criminal groups at a whim. This same standard doesn't apply for a Blizzard dev however, who is allowed to deflect from a culture he was a silent observer in, at the very least.

This is probably the most convoluted take on that tweet I've seen so far. If you're main gripe is that the dev isn't in a position to say it, then I'll say it: if you're more concerned about getting your video game fix than letting the company take the time to address and hopefully fix systemic workplace safety issues then YOU are part of the problem.

You are indeed free to say you're only here for the games, and taking that kind of stance does indeed make you "part of the problem". Blame isn't being shifted away from the management that allowed such a toxic work environment to fester. No one is suggesting that customers who didn't know what was going on within the company were active participants in the harassment in question. However, when that knowledge is brought to light and a portion of the customer base essentially responds with "shut up and get back to work", they are indeed helping to perpetuate these sorts of things.

You seem to be under the impression that just because you have the right to say something that there is nothing wrong with what you say. You're certainly ALLOWED to express your concerns for the product and that you're not here to care about workplace harassment, but don't be surprised when it's pointed out that doing so makes you a scummy person.

It's IMPORTANT that the company takes the time to address what has happened/is happening. It's GOOD that this is getting so much publicity. It wasn't that long ago that a workplace culture like what Blizzard is being accused of was par for the course and any complaints would just be swept under the rug. We don't need people saying "no no, keep these things quiet, we just want our products". If you feel that you're not getting what you paid for anymore then unsub.

[rrayy]

How detached from reality do you need to be to expect anything else?
How detached from reality do you also need to be to write such a tweet anyway, blaming your customer base for your internal issues? I sometimes think Blizzard forgets we're actually paying money to play their game.

It's fine for me if they want to make a freeze. I'll just also freeze my sub.

I hope they survive this though. Would be a shame to see them go. But if they're all mysoginistic fucks and unable to make a change, they can burn for all I care

How detached from reality do you need to be to continuously twist his words into something he did not say? He never blamed the customers for the internal issues. What he did say is that if you care more about game content than the company trying to fix it's issues, you are part of the problem. How about you and others stop the dishonesty about what he actually said?

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https://www.change.org/p/activision-...ard/u/29386687

Please please please, read, share and sign

Nope. Online petitions are a complete waste of time as none of them do anything and are one of the worst things created on the internet. That is the worst form of internet trolling.

[Magical Mudcrab]

Yeah, because the toxicity in response to the open letter clearly shows there's absolutely no problem as far as the player base is concerned.

The sense of entitlement is mental. Don't sub. Don't be a customer. It's better if there aren't such customers on hand.

Because what Blizzard really needs to focus on right now is improving their internal situations, the games are secondary right now.

I'm not saying every customer deserves to be treated this way, far from it. But the ones who go 'IDGAF ABOUT SEXUAL HARASSMENT, I WANT MY CONTENT' doesn't realise that the company needs to sort its shit out. The company could freeze subs in the meantime to keep an even keel.

That's sort of the problem though, this is the company's problem and not the customer's. If mismanagement has caused employee walkouts and content delays to occur, then it is on the company and its management to rectify the situation. It isn't unreasonable if players ask for temporary suspension in game fees for active accounts if ongoing development for a live service game is halted because of this, and it has been ridiculous how senior members at Blizzard, who likely knew about the sexual misconduct and did nothing but now want to claim social points, are the ones calling out players for being disgruntled. This isn't to say that it's the fault of the rank-and-file employees or that it's unreasonable for development to be slowed as internal restructuring occurs (i.e.: purging the abusers and the enablers), but it is unreasonable to expect paying customers to be content with this.

[Magnagarde]

This is probably the most convoluted take on that tweet I've seen so far. If you're main gripe is that the dev isn't in a position to say it, then I'll say it: if you're more concerned about getting your video game fix than letting the company take the time to address and hopefully fix systemic workplace safety issues then YOU are part of the problem.

The only thing that connects me with Blizzard are their games and the people I play with, therefor that is what I care most about.

If you feel that you're not getting what you paid for anymore then unsub.

That amounts to saying "If you feel that you're not being treated well as an employee of Blizzard then quit the job". They don't want to quit the company and want it to improve; I don't want to quit the game and want it to improve. That's what I'm here for, not making sure Blizzard gets the memo that they need to respect the laws of the state they operate in.

Even when unsubbed, which I would be in this very moment if I wasn't on a recurring subscription, I'm still within my right to comment on the state of the game and to ask for improval.

You seem to be under the impression that just because you have the right to say something that there is nothing wrong with what you say. You're certainly ALLOWED to express your concerns for the product and that you're not here to care about workplace harassment, but don't be surprised when it's pointed out that doing so makes you a scummy person.

Paying for a game they're engaged and interested in and then demanding that said game is being taken care of doesn't make anyone a scummy person, just because there's a lawsuit about sexual harassment going against the company that runs said game.

The problem is not someone calling another person scummy on the internet. The problem is that a Blizzard employee gets a green pass for saying something that is scummy, but actually wanting the game to be worked on doesn't get a green pass and is deemed scummy.

[Femininity]

It isn't unreasonable if players ask for temporary suspension in game fees for active accounts if ongoing development for a live service game is halted because of this

It isn't unreasonable to stop paying said sub either.

[Thes]

Is it so otherwordly to think that I and millions of others who don't give a flying fuck about this internal company issue expect some form of service for our money? I am not giving them $15 a month so that they can jerk off and cry on Twitter while freezing production.

You can just unsub until they come up with new content. They don't have a contract saying they have to come up with new content for that $15 per customer. You pay for the access to the service, not for updates.

[Magical Mudcrab]

It isn't unreasonable to stop paying said sub either.

Yeah, that's 100% a valid course of action for players if Blizzard refuses to suspend payments in the interim; however, I think that this would be less favorable for Blizzard. Having a player remain subscribed and temporarily stop payments while you clean house is likely going to be preferable to players stopping payments and potentially not re-subscribing. Additionally, given the bad press that has been occurring, such as community influencers like Preach stating they will no longer be covering World of Warcraft because of the issues at the company, it would be a large win to not charge players while development has been halted.

[Magnagarde]

It isn't unreasonable to stop paying said sub either.

It isn't unreasonable to stop working at a company you don't like the working environment in either.

It is really easy to deal in absolutes, isn't it? I'm very close to making a Star Wars reference.

[hydrium]

considering insults in here have included focusing on his physical appearance, like being bald, and one user threatening to "bash his head into a wall until his brains flushed out" he probably had other encounters, focusing on everything but the issues, making him realize the fans base is littered with toxic man children. i get being upset, but i don't get childish insults and threats of ultra-violence.

They called him bald?!

My god, I hope he's ok.

[Adamas102]

That amounts to saying "If you feel that you're not being treated well as an employee of Blizzard then quit the job". They don't want to quit the company and want it to improve; I don't want to quit the game and want it to improve. That's what I'm here for, not making sure Blizzard gets the memo that they need to respect the laws of the state they operate in.

Even when unsubbed, which I would be in this very moment if I wasn't on a recurring subscription, I'm still within my right to comment on the state of the game and to ask for improval.

It really does show how out of touch you are if you think your position as a consumer in this situation is akin to that of an employee being the target of harassment.

Again, you're within your right to comment and to have your opinion. Just don't act surprised when you're called out for being part of the problem as a result. Apparently "actions have consequences" is something both you and Blizzard are just now learning.

[Nimin]

I can't understand how 1000+ people signed this frankly ridiculous letter.
"We believe these statements have damaged our ongoing quest for equality inside and outside of our industry."
What are they even talking about? This is activist talk, not from some supposedly developer hired and working at a company to sell a product.
It's no surprise Blizzard has been on such a decline if this is the kind of people they're hiring.

"Categorizing the claims that have been made as “distorted, and in many cases false” creates a company atmosphere that disbelieves victims."
So far all of these are mere ALLEGATIONS of misconduct, and allegations are no evidence of victimhood.
Blizzard has every right to claim them to be "distorted or false", and some most certainly are.
There is no proved victim yet and Blizzard has every right to deny the validity of the accusations, yet these guys are acting all shocked from this as if someone saying something automatically makes them victims by default.

"These statements make it clear that our leadership is not putting our values first."
Apparently their values so far include "believe everything you hear", the abandonment of the presumption of innocence and seeing your workplace as an activist organization to change the world. The whole thing sounds like comedy.

"We call for official statements that recognize the seriousness of these allegations and demonstrate compassion for victims of harassment and assault."
So they call for A) an admission of guilt, straight up and B) again with claiming victimhood based on allegations and not evidence, all the while shrouded in some misguided sense of compassion.

Like seriously, what is this. What am I even reading.

[DingDongKing]

That's sort of the problem though, this is the company's problem and not the customer's. If mismanagement has caused employee walkouts and content delays to occur, then it is on the company and its management to rectify the situation. It isn't unreasonable if players ask for temporary suspension in game fees for active accounts if ongoing development for a live service game is halted because of this, and it has been ridiculous how senior members at Blizzard, who likely knew about the sexual misconduct and did nothing but now want to claim social points, are the ones calling out players for being disgruntled. This isn't to say that it's the fault of the rank-and-file employees or that it's unreasonable for development to be slowed as internal restructuring occurs (i.e.: purging the abusers and the enablers), but it is unreasonable to expect paying customers to be content with this.

It’s fair to request a suspension of fees. Especially since the company needs to realise the internal matters take precedent and content can’t possibly be pushed out right now. That said, the way some people are behaving right now is disgusting. So no one is showering themselves in glory.

[Tsarez]

...at what point did i defend the guy's tweet? in your reality is it normal and acceptable to threaten ultra-violence on someone based on a decision about a VIDEO game and a response to it? is that your reality? because i think very little rises to a level where "i would smash this guys head into a wall until his brains flush out" is reasonable. Is it reasonable to you?

Its not reasonable, its still reality. Thats just the truth.

[Magnagarde]

It really does show how out of touch you are if you think your position as a consumer in this situation is akin to that of an employee being the target of harassment.

Again, you're within your right to comment and to have your opinion. Just don't act surprised when you're called out for being part of the problem as a result. Apparently "actions have consequences" is something both you and Blizzard are just now learning.

Nowhere have I said that I'm in the same position, but I have applied the idea of dealing with matters in absolutes in order to show how absolutely foolish it is; what I've said in many previous posts is that my and many others' engagement with Blizzard is based on certain things that have no relation to Blizzard, as a company, not being able to create a workplace culture that abides by the law of the state it operates in.

To compare me with Blizzard on this matter is exactly the problem and the reason why so many take the stance that I'm taking. To ask for a game and franchise you are/have been engaged in to be improved does not make someone part of a sexual harassment problem at a company. It also doesn't mean that I or anyone else isn't against sexual harassment because said problem it is a despicable thing. It means that others are authorized and paid to do their job in regards to this problem.

[DingDongKing]

Its not reasonable, its still reality. Thats just the truth.

Cool, so the reality is that players are being treated like commodities, same as the employees are. It’s just the truth. Oh well. Let’s move on.

[Femininity]

It isn't unreasonable to stop working at a company you don't like the working environment in either.

It is really easy to deal in absolutes, isn't it? I'm very close to making a Star Wars reference.

Varying degrees of reasonability do not make an absolute. Stop.

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Cool, so the reality is that fans are being treated like commodities, same as the employees are. It’s just the truth. Oh well. Let’s move on.

That's the backbone of the US economy!