FOLLOWING concerns from fans that Destiny 2 developer Bungie isn’t listening to consumer feedback, the community manager has confirmed it is due to harassment from fans.
Bungie developer Kevin Yanes confirmed on Twitter that chest armour Twilight Garrison would not be returning via a deleted tweet.
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Before Yanes deleted the tweet, which was in response to a player question, it read:
“Titans will never get air dodge back my guy. It’s part of the warlock identity. Sorry but I want to rip that bandaid off.”
This led to the targeted harassment of the sandbox lead, including death threats.
While many of these tweets subsequently were removed and several accounts banned, this is not an isolated incident for the company.
As reported by Forbes, one of the senior community managers for the studio has since spoken out about why Bungie isn’t open to talking with fans about their gaming feedback.
When one Destiny 2 player tweeted their dismay about some people’s toxic reactions to developer comments, the manager known as dmg04 had this to say in response:
“I dream of a day where video game developers (from any studio) can openly discuss their work without being harassed.
“Many in the comments say they do not condone harassment. I hope they also stand against it when they find that friends or family are engaging in it.
“Cases of harassment against our developers have actively made it harder for us to communicate with the broader community. It has impacted more studios than just ours.
“I hope that more folks can stand against this behaviour in any community, whether it be gaming related or other.”
Dmg04 has been taking a leave of absence from the company since late June.
In a pinned tweet he confirmed this is due to mental health issues.
He claims he is starting antidepressant medication and speaking to a therapist.
It is unclear if his decline in mental health was due to harassment from players or even related to his job.
While cyberbullying is still a fairly new phenomenon, numerous studies have shown that online harassment can have serious negative effects on mental health.
Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.
Contact the Samaritans
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, contact The Samaritans on 116 123.
They are available for free at anytime.
Or email https://www.samaritans.org/
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