Following harassment from God of War Ragnarök developers on social media, Santa Monica Studio was forced to issue a statement. Society asks for more respect and to cease all toxicity.
If social networks are a great tool, it is 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 devs found out the hard way and want it to stop.
The God of War studio denies any toxicity
The non-announcement of the release date of God of War Ragnarök has unleashed passions, to the point that some Internet users have found it wise to harass the creators. The developers of the studio even received photos of penises against this information on their private messaging. Following this wave of hate, Santa Monica Studio dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s by denouncing this toxicity that it does not wish to see again.
Everyone at Santa Monica Studio works to create a game that we’re proud of and that we hope you’ll enjoy playing 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 toxic, nor should it be expressed to the detriment of the dignity of a human being. 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 that was not well seen by Cory Barlog, game director on God of War (2018) and GOW 2. “Finding someone to blame or direct your hate at is not the solution. Maybe it’s just enough to be positive and treat people who do things we love with a little human decency and respect. This is not a battle, we are not at war. We’re just trying to have a good time together.” do we read on his twitter account.
The same week, Ron Gilbert, creator of Monkey Island, threw in the towel. After the announcement of Return to Monkey Island, the developer had equally gratinating comments which, at times, had absolutely no relation to the title. Real personal attacks which mean that Ron Gilbert no longer has the strength, nor the desire, to share with the community.