The video games industry is having its #MeToo moment. But there’s a long way to go

Quinn, alongside other female, queer and non-binary gamers and developers were heavily targeted, with many facing ongoing harassment, doxxing and even death and rape threats.

Independent games were also targeted, particularly if they appeared to skew more progressive. The online maelstrom became so severe that sites such as Kotaku, a popular gaming blog, banned their writers from contributing to crowdfunding appeals like Patreon. Tech company Intel also pulled an ad campaign from video game news site Gamasutra following complaints from GamerGaters about a column written by the editor-at-large that was critical of the male-centric gamer identity.

The intensity of the GamerGate movement has since dissipated, but the sexist and bigoted attitudes it espoused live on. For example, the writer of a 2023 IGN report – which laid out a history of alleged sexism at the developer of Black Myth: Wukong, Game Science – became the target of a lengthy harassment campaign. And last year, rumours swirled that Ubisoft was allegedly forced by “DEI [diversity, equality and inclusion] warriors” into making the main character of Assassin’s Creed Shadows black, despite historical evidence that a black samurai warrior existed.

Cue the #MeToo movement

While GamerGaters were launching co-ordinated harassment campaigns against female and other minority gamers, developers and games journalists, trouble was also brewing inside the very companies that create the games they play.

In August 2019, games designer Nathalie Lawhead posted about the alleged abusive behaviour and rape she says were inflicted upon her by former colleague composer Jeremy Soule. He vehemently denied the allegations and was never charged with a crime. Soule’s management was contacted for comment.

However, Lawhead’s post had a domino effect, as several other women within the industry proceeded to share their own accounts of abuse in the workplace, including sexual harassment, gaslighting and retaliation. This included Zoe Quinn, who on August 27, 2019, accused Alec Holowka (who worked on the 2017 indie hit Night in the Woods) of sexual and verbal abuse. Holowka died shortly after on August 31.

These weren’t the first abuse allegations made within the industry. In 2018, a Kotaku investigation exposed a culture of sexism at developer Riot Games (makers of League of Legends). This resulted in five former employees suing the company over workplace harassment and discrimination. About 150 of Riot Games’ employees protested over how the company was handling the lawsuit in 2019 – the largest video games protest of such nature at the time.

The Ubisoft trial

Arguably the most commonly referenced example, however, is the string of complaints made against executives at Ubisoft. In 2020, dozens of company employees filed complaints of sexual misconduct, bullying and harassment.

While not accused of any misconduct individually, managing director Yannis Mallat left the company in the wake of the complaints.

“The recent allegations that have come to light in Canada against multiple employees make it impossible for him to continue in this position,” Ubisoft said in a statement reported by Bloomberg at the time.

Global head of human resources Cécile Cornet was not accused of any misconduct personally but also departed Ubisoft and her division was reorganised.

Chief creative officer Hascoët also departed at the time of Mallat and Cornet, and was last week found guilty in a French court of psychological harassment and complicity in sexual harassment.

“These departures come following the initiation of a rigorous review that the Company initiated in response to recent allegations and accusations of misconduct and inappropriate behaviour,” according to the Ubisoft statement to Bloomberg in 2020.

According to Bloomberg, it was the “most significant executive exodus in the $US150 billion industry since the #MeToo movement started gathering momentum”.

The company proceeded to launch an internal inquiry. Following this, Ubisoft chief executive Yves Guillemot announced a plan to overhaul the company’s creative editorial team, adding that his “goal is to create an inclusive and open culture that embraces more diverse and multidisciplinary expertise”.

This series of events culminated in the recent trial in Bobigny, in which Serge Hascoët, former Ubisoft game director Guillaume Patrux, and former Ubisoft editorial vice-president Thomas François were found guilty of enabling a culture of bullying and sexual harassment within the company.

Could this foster real change?

UNSW associate professor Michael Kasumovic, who has researched gender differences in video games, says this could be a turning point within the industry, particularly as games companies continue to realise that gender equity is not only positive socially, but also financially.

“Many companies are interested in improving the STEM pipeline to increase diversity on their teams. And with social media, people are more willing to share their experiences,” he says. “This [Ubisoft] trial could definitely speed things up, especially in Europe, where they’re cracking down on such things more strongly.”

Dr Susannah Emery, a lecturer in game design and digital media at the University of South Australia, also thinks this trial will show game companies there are legal consequences for poor workplace practices, but emphasises it won’t fix everything.

“For a long time, the games industry has been dominated and controlled by certain voices and cultures, and when those are the people making the games, those are the voices amplified within the games they make,” Emery says. “Everything else is seen as an exception to this ‘norm’ – women make up about half of all game players, but in Australia, only make up around 21 per cent of game developers.

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“Real action in this space has been slow because the systems controlling this, such as leadership and the laws, weren’t built with safety or equity in mind. This is starting to change due to verdicts like this, but there’s still a lot of work to do be done here.”

The fallout from both GamerGate and the #MeToo movement has resulted in greater regulation within companies, including the implementation of moderation, the ability for gamers to modify their voice, and bans.

A spokesperson at the Interactive Games and Entertainment Association, Australia’s peak industry body representing the video games industry, says creative environments flourish when people feel supported and empowered.

“All employees deserve a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace; one free from harassment, discrimination and intimidation … It’s vital that all workplaces within our sector continuously examine and strengthen their culture to uphold the highest standards and foster spaces where creativity and talent can thrive.”

However, Kasumovic notes this is not just an issue within the video game industry, but a broader societal issue.

“One of the biggest things that needs to happen now is the education of young men so they realise their value isn’t determined by their ability to compete,” he says. “This is difficult because there are still so many spaces that allow men to behave in overtly aggressive and male-dominating ways … Society must continue to punish individuals who behave this way. Young people need to see and understand this sort of behaviour is unacceptable.

“Unfortunately, if history tells us anything, we have a long way to go.”

Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). https://www.1800respect.org.au/

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