Call of Duty: Vanguard studio Treyarch has issued a statement saying that its culture has "no room" for sexist, racist, and bullying behaviors following months of reports about a toxic culture spanning the entirety of Activision-Blizzard. The full statement follows below:
The statement comes months after the initial lawsuit filed by the state of California over allegations that Activision-Blizzard had a "frat boy culture" rife with sexual harassment. Since then, dozens of reports of a toxic, sexist culture have emerged, including allegations that former Treyarch studio head Dan Bunting sexually harassed a female employee in 2017. He has since departed the studio.
On Twitter, Treyarch associate producer Miranda Due said that the statement was penned by a group of women at Treyarch who organized to get it published, citing the need to process the trauma of what had come out about their company before they were able to put a statement together. "We are the ones that have been impacted the most by what has happened, and we are fighting for a better future," she wrote.
Activision-Blizzard continues to be under fire for the mounting allegations against it, including a recent announcement of strike action by the ABK Workers Alliance that is currently expected to continue after the holidays.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
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Our goal as a studio is to make awesome games for the world to enjoy. Having the privilege to pursue the endeavor is made possible because of Treyarch's people: we are a studio comprised of smart, talented, world-class creative professionals who seek to perform at our best. Our culture has no room for sexism, harassment, racism, bigotry, discrimination, or bullying. As we move forward, providing a safe, diverse, inclusive working environment so that all may thrive will be our highest priority. Everyone at Treyarch is drawn to game development because we possess a deep love for the artistry of video games and the magic that can create moments that matter. This is a moment that matters and it starts by being better.
As we look ahead to 2022, we felt that it was important to share a few thoughts... pic.twitter.com/lWdEaZVN4w
— Treyarch Studios (@Treyarch) December 21, 2021
The statement comes months after the initial lawsuit filed by the state of California over allegations that Activision-Blizzard had a "frat boy culture" rife with sexual harassment. Since then, dozens of reports of a toxic, sexist culture have emerged, including allegations that former Treyarch studio head Dan Bunting sexually harassed a female employee in 2017. He has since departed the studio.
On Twitter, Treyarch associate producer Miranda Due said that the statement was penned by a group of women at Treyarch who organized to get it published, citing the need to process the trauma of what had come out about their company before they were able to put a statement together. "We are the ones that have been impacted the most by what has happened, and we are fighting for a better future," she wrote.
Activision-Blizzard continues to be under fire for the mounting allegations against it, including a recent announcement of strike action by the ABK Workers Alliance that is currently expected to continue after the holidays.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.
Continue reading...