Keystone Masters: Gauntlet, Quinton Flynn Voice Actor Update, Raid Testing Schedule

[Zendhal The Black]

After Danuser had to remove Garrosh calling Sylvanas "Bitch", I wouldn't expect anything less...

[Orange Joe]

All of this is happening because there are no consequences for false allegations. People like this deserve to rot in prison or get the rope instantly.

There is. If you can prove it's false. It's called filing a false police report.

[Kumorii]

I think the wording here is incorrect.

The "right" thing is to wait until hard evidence or at least some ruling from a judge exists, the reality is simply that Blizzard doesn't give a slightest fuck about principles and prefers to appease a rather questionable mob before they even made any demands because the wrath of said mob gives them bad PR and thus potentially less revenue.

Blizzard rather avoids "bad PR" than to stand with the rule of law, a correct choice exists but it's not one Blizzard is willing to make, it's pure self interest, which needs to be brought up whenever Blizzard dares to promote a certain political agenda via their official channels.

Yeah, I don't get the argument that "any path is wrong"... sure, if you give the people who lambast for ridiculous reasons any credence. The thing is though that no one should give them space. The wrong choice is to give in to them, which blizzard did. If all paths are wrong from a PR perspective, the correct one is that one that's correct in other aspects.

[Kralljin]

I mean, so far I haven't seen any rerecordings for Jhin, a league of legends character Flynn voiced and I have yet to see Riot being completely ruined in terms of PR by the situation.

On a sidenote, I think it's actually frightening how Blizzard just purges this person's entire contribution to the Warcraft universe on a whim.

I think Blizzards PR staff has just become extremely hypersensitive about these things.

Look back 10 years, where Blizzard still had a relatively solid situation.
Now?

Layoffs in spite of a record year.
Blitzchung controversy.
Warcraft 3: Reforged (not really political but also damaged their image).
E-Sport toys drama.

Most of this is self made, so the last thing they need is controversies coming from the outside.
In the world where anything can go viral, it's easy to become the next "target", especially when it involves sexual harassment / rape.

However, it can also just be that the political opinion of some Blizzard employees also plays a role here - the Twitter account of some Blizzard employees most certainly does not help them to dispel that assumption.

[Kumorii]

You do understand that that is purely a legal concept and has nothing to do with your average person right?

You do realise that a lot of people also believe innocent before proven guilty is just a good moral standing to have as a person outside of the law. Just because it's a phrase in law doesn't mean it doesn't hold any value outside of it.

You come across as if it has no value outside of the law, which is worrying.

[Aphrel]

Ah the blizzard way, shoot first ask questions later.

[Nize]

Props to MMO-champ for reporting this. Many times, what's reported are the accusations and not the clearance of individuals involved in these cases. His career is ruined, his life has been harmed, so at least there's some respite in his name being cleared to as many people as possible, though unfortunately not all.

[Orange Joe]

You do realise that a lot of people also believe innocent before proven guilty is just a good moral standing to have as a person outside of the law. Just because it's a phrase in law doesn't mean it doesn't hold any value outside of it.

You come across as if it has no value outside of the law, which is worrying.

I mean I judge people every day based on how they act. You saying I can't do that cause nothing was proven in a court of law? Thats just stupid.

It doesn't have any value outside of law. I don't find that worrying at all myself.

[Gaidax]

Well, well, well. Look how the turntables have....

They would turn if they'd slap that psyho with decent damages. From what I see. it's a net loss for the guy.

[Icelin]

Another controversy..

"Environment

The environment exceeding on the level
Of our unconciousness
For example.."

What do all statements say/have in common that are released?

Except the ones about the female employees degrading men for no apparent reason. I feel like no one should be degrading anyone regardless of gender. These other ones I see broadcasted are asinine to think both parties were not involved. (As nothing would've ever happened..) Yet all these statements I see reach the same conclusion. Tired of the division and hatred propaganda.

I would like a more positive message from the company. It's in your material in the game and quit pushing articles like this as front news. The community is a product of their environment.

[Kumorii]

I mean I judge people every day based on how they act. You saying I can't do that cause nothing was proven in a court of law? Thats just stupid.

It doesn't have any value outside of law. I don't find that worrying at all myself.

Not at all what I said...geez.

If we go by what I said: if you treat people based on heresay, especially making things hard for them, then yeah, it's worrying.

Your example is not close to what I was saying. If some random person told you X person did Y, would you instantly go and call for them to be fired over something you haven't even confirmed yourself? That IS worrying.

[Orange Joe]

Not at all what I said...geez.

If we go by what I said: if you treat people based on heresay, especially making things hard for them, then yeah, it's worrying.

Your example is not close to what I was saying. If some random person told you X person did Y, would you instantly go and call for them to be fired over something you haven't even confirmed yourself? That IS worrying.

I wouldn't call for anyone to be fired. I'm not that kind of person. EVERYONE has to be able to work. but I would definitely judge them based on that info until said info is proven otherwise. (assuming this is from a source I know)

[Crimznrain]

This is kind of misleading. He explained that he was a victim of harassment from this particular account who had been stalking him, and the account as a whole had to be taken down as a result. He also admitted to kissing a minor in his explanation post. Nothing about this court case was proven innocence in any regard, especially towards allegations not given by this particular account owner, just that he was in fact also being harassed, which is unfortunate.

Lol... speaking of misleading. Pot. Meet Kettle.

[Kumorii]

I wouldn't call for anyone to be fired. I'm not that kind of person. EVERYONE has to be able to work. but I would definitely judge them based on that info until said info is proven otherwise. (assuming this is from a source I know)

You keep changing the details... but at least it sounds like you aren't as bad as you sounded at first.
Ofc if a friend or collegue or someone you trust, you give support... but that's not what this case is or any public case is. It's not your friend or anyone you know yet people jump to conclusions instantly as soon as the word is out. It's also a big difference in showing support to someone you know and attacking the accused. You can do the former without doing the latter.

[Orange Joe]

You keep changing the details... but at least it sounds like you aren't as bad as you sounded at first.
Ofc if a friend or collegue or someone you trust, you give support... but that's not what this case is or any public case is. It's not your friend or anyone you know yet people jump to conclusions instantly as soon as the word is out. It's also a big difference in showing support to someone you know and attacking the accused.

If it's not my friend I take it with a grain of salt and wait to see if more info comes out of similar nature. If so the I assume the stuff is true enough.

As for this guy I don't think he did anything illegal. but he for sure is a creep using his status to get women in bed. I haven't really looked that deep into this yet either, nor do I really care to.

[ElDoorO]

Nothing about this court case was proven innocence in any regard

What a world in which one must prove their innocence. I do dearly, and sincerely, hope no one falsely accuses you of anything. Oh, you did a bad thing? Ok, I guess anyone should be able to make up anything about you now, right?

What a dangerous world you want to live in and create.

I hope you never have to understand how bad that kind of attitude is.

[Chilela]

I think Blizzards PR staff has just become extremely hypersensitive about these things.

Look back 10 years, where Blizzard still had a relatively solid situation.
Now?

Layoffs in spite of a record year.
Blitzchung controversy.
Warcraft 3: Reforged (not really political but also damaged their image).
E-Sport toys drama.

Most of this is self made, so the last thing they need is controversies coming from the outside.
In the world where anything can go viral, it's easy to become the next "target", especially when it involves sexual harassment / rape.

However, it can also just be that the political opinion of some Blizzard employees also plays a role here - the Twitter account of some Blizzard employees most certainly does not help them to dispel that assumption.

A decade ago, the Internet was still in sort of a transitional phase between being a sort of side thing in greater society and being all-encompassing. As such, outrage culture from the inside was much less prominent. I feel like that sort of started to shift with MoP, as much as I enjoy that expansion.

I feel like they're more concerned with controversy coming from the inside at this point (and rightfully so), given that a lot of drama tends to fester from within their communities, and occasionally catches the attention of outside sources. Definitely agree on employee political views affecting things, though that's become less of a Blizz thing as much as a Games-industry-as-a-whole thing at this point.

[Ragedaug]

Exactly. But the first scenario would be much worse for Blizzard because the twitter mobs would go absolutely Apeshit. So the safer choice is to just fire him and take the smaller of the two hits.

Not acting, while voicing concern and an interest to "look into it", seems like a much better option than knowingly doing something that is wrong, like firing an innocent employee and destroying their life's work. The twitter mob will always be there, but you would appease it, at least to a certain degree, with virtue signaling, while not pissing off of your reasonable customers by caving to the mob who is calling for the blood of innocents, and giving them that blood.

[Bladesyphon]

Yeah, I don't get the argument that "any path is wrong"... sure, if you give the people who lambast for ridiculous reasons any credence. The thing is though that no one should give them space. The wrong choice is to give in to them, which blizzard did. If all paths are wrong from a PR perspective, the correct one is that one that's correct in other aspects.

The problem is - this is Blizzard we're talking about. Right now, the internet mob has grown so rabid in wanting to shit on them for every little thing they do, there was, in this case, literally no right direction to take.

-They keep Flynn on during the accusations, and people would claim they're harboring a sexual predator. If the accusations turned out to be true, then when they do remove him, no one is going to give a fuck, because they're just doing what is expected of them. But the "Damage" would still have been there for not "Seeing the signs" early on.

-They keep Flynn on during the accusations, and reality plays out like it does, and the accusations turn out to be false. No one would have probably even bothered to report on it, because at that point it's just a domestic case of harassment, and not worth reporting on, because it somehow doesn't reflect a company, like Blizzard, in a negative light. But if, for some reason, it IS reported on, you have an instance like ProJared, where people rally against the man even though the accusations are proven to be false, and you've got a twitter mob going after Blizzard for not removing him, because clearly the accuser is right.

Blizzard saw the writing on the wall with this one - this was basically ProJared all over again. But whereas Jared is just a semi to relatively popular Youtuber, Flynn is a professional Voice Actor. They did what they felt was best, just to ensure that none of the two scenarios played out. But, because this is Blizzard, they're going to immediately be blasted away for it.

I hate to bring up the Blitzchung thing, because that was, frankly, the largest shit showing of the internet having zero understanding of how contracts and the real world works, but it's a perfect comparison to be made. The kid broke his contract by making a political statement, and in breach of it, was summarily punished for it. This happens *all* *the* *god* *damn* *time*. But the difference? It happens in companies you and I don't care about, it happens to small sports teams that we don't follow. It happens in other countries that we aren't watching.

But because it was Blizzard who did it, a company that's now being shadowed by a company that the entire world seems to hate, they had pitchforks raised against them for, literally, following the legal obligations written in their contract that both parties were aware of. But because the vast majority of twitter and internet mobs think that a legally binding contract is the same as a Terms of Service you click, or that "well it's okay to break the law in SOME cases", that Blizzard did bad.

All this shows, once again, is that people just want to leap at a chance to say Blizzard did bad. Does it suck what happened to Flynn? Absolutely, no one should ever have their livelihood ruined because of some deranged person. But sadly, that's how the world works. Blizzard did what they felt was best for both their public image, and at the time the safety of the people working with and around Flynn. Would I love to see Flynn get his job back? Absolutely - but it would now come at the cost of the actor whose taken on the role.

Now, if that actor willingly steps down and says "Hey, Blizzard, give Flynn his job back, I'm okay with finding work elsewhere", and Blizzard says "No, we don't want him back", than you have reason to be upset with Blizzard. But asking Blizzard to summarily fire, or remove and place elsewhere, someone who was hired to replace his position just because the other guy wants his job back, isn't how the world works, no matter what the circumstances may be.

[Super Kami Dende]

As for this guy I don't think he did anything illegal. but he for sure is a creep using his status to get women in bed. I haven't really looked that deep into this yet either, nor do I really care to.

This is such a bullshit sentence I hear from idiots all the time. Women come sniffing after Status all by themselves. Men don't need to use their status to get the Women. They simply need to just hold the Status, Women are well aware of it and make their own choice to chase after it. He's a fucking voice actor, not some authoritative overlord.

Grow up.