A Message from the World of Warcraft Team

[oathy]

This is so stupid. Why can't people just distinguish reality from games. Let gaming characters look like wh*r#s if they want to, whats the matter. It's not even real, it's fantasy. How can you feel attacked.

Varian got bigger bicep and tricep than me too, and? He's hitting the gym, me not. I'm fine with it.

It reeks of them clearly in a panic and again just going in the wrong direction,
Cosmetic changes wont alter the fact they as a company and as team leaders got this wrong.
The term Dead Cat gets used a lot here in the UK,

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_c...ynton%20Crosby.

My guess is they will reverse the option on very little clothing
remove the more "skimpy" transmogs
tighten up the naming policy

its still coming back to the sense this is a player based issue. The players are not the ones who launched a lawsuit against them.

[roahn the warlock]

Always assumed this site was filled with toxic teenagers. Now we know it is.

[Alanious]

This message is a corporate tactic in filtering out who is rebellious and who is obediant. Whoever throws in their suggestion that wants change will be fired down the line.

"We know that in order to rebuild trust, we must earn it with our actions in the weeks and months to come. But we go forward knowing that we share the same vision as our community about creating a place where people of all genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and backgrounds can thrive and proudly call home."

This is all corporate bullshit.

[DingDongKing]

Always assumed this site was filled with toxic teenagers. Now we know it is.

Ain't that the fucking truth. It's just mental how disconnected these people are.

[Tenant]

Always assumed this site was filled with toxic teenagers. Now we know it is.

What took you so long?

[Garymorilix]

What are people gonna do when the court says ain't shit happened cuz nothing can be proven?
Cuz if you actually read the document you'd know that it's full of non-descript bullshit designed to enrage the average mouth breather.

Let me guess, "the legal system sucks". Yea, sure, you don't get sentenced to death without evidence, big shock.

People need to learn what "allegedly" means and stop crying about shit all the time.

[Trbn]

oh, yes

remove references! it will show them... someone...
rapists will learn their lesson

probably

[Count Zero]

The leadership not being legally responsible is literally impossible, under state and Federal law. Which, shocker, is why the state is suing, for violating state laws.

On top of that, there were stories on Twitter of Blizzard devs being contacted over similar issues by the EEOC, which is the Federal office that deals with discrimination and harassment.

But please, tell us how Blizzard is legally not responsible for their employees, in the workplace. And how the State had no standing to sue, which is what you're implying. I got time, I'll wait.

I didn't say they weren't responsible. I said it's possible for the two things you said were mutually exclusive to be possible. But stay on your soapbox.

[Cæli]

I don't understand their messages; what are they going to do precisely ? was it a message of support for people in their company that are going through rough times?

[DingDongKing]

I don't understand their messages; what are they going to do precisely ? was it a message of support for people in their company that are going through rough times?

It's just usual Blizzard bullshit. Bandaid fixes thinking placating people is what will work.

[Gadzooks]

What are people gonna do when the court says ain't shit happened cuz nothing can be proven?
Cuz if you actually read the document you'd know that it's full of non-descript bullshit designed to enrage the average mouth breather.

Let me guess, "the legal system sucks". Yea, sure, you don't get sentenced to death without evidence, big shock.

People need to learn what "allegedly" means and stop crying about shit all the time.

The state could be countersued for billions of dollars for damages to ATVIs reputation and income if their evidence didn't exist or couldn't be proven.

And, if the claims are meritless, why are devs and executives, past and present, apologizing for them?

What did you actually hope to accomplish posting this, other than a rationalization to keep playing?

- - - Updated - - -

I didn't say they weren't responsible. I said it's possible for the two things you said were mutually exclusive to be possible. But stay on your soapbox.

Except that half of your statement is literally and legally impossible. So why post it? Did you really think you have a credible point?

[Kathranis]

I guess it's a fine statement. Certainly better than what Blizzard management has put forward, and miles better than the pathetic responses from Activision.

But words are words. Gonna need to see heads roll for this one, sorry guys. A token scrubbing of Afrasiabi and Bridenbecker and whoever else from the game isn't going to cut it.

Maybe JAB should step down instead? How about that for activism?

I will not think Blizzard is better after this change (apart from removing Afrasiabi since he's an actual alleged abuser, but that can be done in silence - and should have been done months ago).

Afrasiabi left in 2020 and as far as we know hasn't been involved since 8.2.5. Not known if he was fired, pushed out, or left voluntarily to avoid facing consequences. But we know he was scrubbed from Linkedin and Twitter and retired to Hawaii as a multi-millionaire.

JAB should absolutely fall on his sword for this one. He is utterly incapable of appearing sincere. Every statement he's ever put forth is completely ineffectual. He inspires zero confidence. He's a disaster. PR poison. Get rid of him, whether he's at fault or not. He has consistently failed to rise to the occasion.

We don't know who all was involved, but without visible resignations and terminations, it's not going to look like anything is changing.

wait, so instead of fixing internal culture they're going to strip things that can be considered offensive off a fantasy game? hello blizzard, the fiction part is implicit in the genre.

They think renaming enslave demon to subjugate demon is doing some kind of service to humanity, meanwhile they allow potentially rapists to roam free in their workplace.

Well, no. It says while they work to identify and hold accountable the abusers, they will also be removing things like the three or four NPCs and dozens of items that are explicitly named after or reference Alex Afrasiabi. It's not about like, censoring stuff. It's about getting rid of references to literally abusive employees that are all over the game, and it's something they've done before.

[MoanaLisa]

This message is a corporate tactic in filtering out who is rebellious and who is obediant. Whoever throws in their suggestion that wants change will be fired down the line.

"We know that in order to rebuild trust, we must earn it with our actions in the weeks and months to come. But we go forward knowing that we share the same vision as our community about creating a place where people of all genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and backgrounds can thrive and proudly call home."

This is all corporate bullshit.

Then there will be another large pile of lawsuits they'll have to deal with. If any time was safer at Blizzard to put in a protest it would be now. They aren't going to fire the 1600 or so that have signed up for the walkout tomorrow.

[Cæli]

their stocks already lost 8%... not looking good at all
investors probably couldn't care less about internal well being
from the outside it just looks like a mismanaged company, so bad for business

[Chilela]

They gonna remove Garona too? She is the product of a rape.

I mean, they were pretty trigger-happy about removing her "Get Bent" line in early BFA.

Yes, not being able to differentiate between a fantasy world and reality is usually a bad sign. Not to mention it gives the picture that they think games make people violent.

I mean, that mindset has already started to creep back, from within the industry this time. See also: The game industry folks petitioning for Six Days in Fallujah to be canceled a few months back because of concerns of "normalizing violence against minorities"

OT: Removing "problematic" things in the game is one of the last things I want to see happen. Yet given Blizzard's near-decade now of altering and removing new or pre-existing content, it's something that I've come to expect from them.

[Garymorilix]

The state could be countersued for billions of dollars for damages to ATVIs reputation and income if their evidence didn't exist or couldn't be proven.

And, if the claims are meritless, why are devs and executives, past and present, apologizing for them?

What did you actually hope to accomplish posting this, other than a rationalization to keep playing?

Okay, and when that happens what will you do? Cry about Blizzard "making money off of victims" that were never proven to be victims?
We can go all day, mate.
You still don't get the point.

If the claims have merit did they let innocent people suffer for at least 2 years even tho they literally saw (and can legally prove) that they were abused and or harrassed?
How did they investigate exactly? I did not see they refer to their method yet either, is it all hear-say?

What do you accomplish judging people for mere accusations? If I accuse you are you automatically guilty or do I need to prove it first?

[Gadzooks]

Okay, and when that happens what will you do? Cry about Blizzard "making money off of victims" that were never proven to be victims?
We can go all day, mate.
You still don't get the point.

If the claims have merit did they let innocent people suffer for at least 2 years even tho they literally saw (and can legally prove) that they were abused and or harrassed?
How did they investigate exactly? I did not see they refer to their method yet either, is it all hear-say?

What do you accomplish judging people for mere accusations? If I accuse you are you automatically guilty or do I need to prove it first?

I have no investment in your teenage level scenario playing out, or the rest of your pointless nonsense. You don't have a point, and you're just doubling down on nothing.

[Nexsa]

It's gonna take a lot of work to earn my trust back.

[Soulsa]

A simple apology would be a good start, they;re still too arrogant to even do that....

[exsanguinate]

It's gonna take a lot of work to earn my trust back.

They're in big trouble this time and this is not just a meme that will be forgotten in a few weeks. No wonder this game is just in a bad state with how employees getting treated and so on.