Following harassment by God of War Ragnarok developers on social media, Santa Monica Studio was forced to issue a statement. Society demands more respect and the cessation of any toxicity.
If social media is a great tool, it’s also a place where we see very malicious behavior. It doesn’t matter the studio, the publisher, the manufacturer and even the subject. The God of War developers found out the hard way and want it to stop.
The God of War studio denies any toxicity
The non-announcement of God of War Ragnarök’s release date unleashed passions to the point that some netizens thought it wise to bother the creators. The studio’s developers even received photos of penises in their private messages in exchange for this information. After that wave of hate, the Santa Monica Studio has been dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s by denouncing this toxicity it doesn’t want to see again.
Everyone at Santa Monica Studio works to make a game that we’re proud of and hope you’ll enjoy once it’s released. Our fans are an inspiration to us and we understand the passion and desire for more information. But this passion should not be poisonous, nor should it be expressed at the expense of a person’s dignity. Let’s celebrate our community by treating each other, players and developers, with respect.
A call for calm also from Cory Barlog
Some even tried to blame journalist Jason Schreier and The Snitch insider. A gesture not well seen by Cory Barlog, game director on God of War (2018) and GOW 2. “Finding someone to blame or hate is not the solution. Maybe just being positive and treating people doing things we love with a little human decency and respect is enough. This is not a battle, we are not at war. We’re just trying to have a good time together.”
That same week, Ron Gilbert, the creator of Monkey Island, threw in the towel. Following the announcement of Return to Monkey Island, there were equally flattering comments from the developers, at times completely unrelated to the title. Genuine personal attacks resulting in Ron Gilbert no longer having the strength or desire to share with the community.
