Within the larger community of people who play video games online, toxic behavior has become an all-too-common phenomenon that is often disregarded. Apex Legends has become a focal point for inappropriate conduct among the community of players that play battle royale games because of its widespread popularity, and its producers are eager to engage with users. Respawn does not intend to maintain their silence over this subject.
— Respawn (@Respawn) September 22, 2022 During a recent AMA Reddit session, the criticism reached an unacceptable level. What was intended to be a conversation about legends and weaponry quickly devolved into combat between loud gamers and the devs responding to comments on the forum. When a player going by the name HisWattson began criticizing the game’s security manager Conor “Hideouts” Ford, on Twitter, the situation escalated even further. After HisWattson was removed from a battle in the middle of it, he complained that Hideouts wasn’t performing his job. HisWattson is a well-known player in the Apex community and has participated in many competitions. Included in this is the ALGS Year Two Championship when he won MVP. However, HisWattson is not the only developer engaged in frequent arguments, particularly regarding Hideouts. Respawn had to answer to the ongoing situation on Twitter when more and more players began to assault Hideouts after being encouraged by HisWattson. The company said that it has seen “increased harassment” toward developers. While it welcomes community input, the company feels that much of the recent feedback has “crossed the line” from input to harassment. “We want to remind our players that we have a zero-tolerance policy for threats and the harassment of our developers,” Respawn emphasized. Bungie is a different studio that is well aware of Respawn’s challenges. The Destiny developer responded and provided support by writing:
— Bungie (@Bungie) September 22, 2022 Unfortunately, the harassment of developers by players is nothing new. Some developers have even made their social media accounts private to avoid tense situations. However, Respawn is doing its share to make it clear that the business will not put up with this conduct which is fortunate to see.
