This past week, Mass Effect Andromeda‘s character animations became talk of the town in gaming circles, with many noting that not only have they been downgraded since the initial reveal, but that they also look quite poor for a AAA game (note: we’re reserving our judgement for our review). Things took an interesting turn when some folks identified the game’s lead facial animator as Allie Rose-Marie Leost, resulting in people directly addressing her on social media.
Alongside criticism, it appears that she started receiving some unpleasant messages, which prompted BioWare to release the following statement:
— BioWare (@bioware) March 18, 2017
Here’s where this gets weirder. Twitter user Ethan Ralph (of The Ralph Retort) posted screenshots under the tweet that appear to identify Leost as the lead animator on Andromeda before her profile was changed so we’re not sure if she actually worked on the game or not and in what capacity.
In the midst of this, another development came to light. BioWare’s Manveer Heir, who’s been the subject of controversy himself due to a series of tweets about “white people,” has left the developer. This was confirmed by the studio’s General Manager, Aaryn Flynn, in response to a user who asked if BioWare was going to address the issue. Heir later made a formal announcement, stating that he left BioWare soon after work on Andromeda was complete, and has set up an indie studio.
As for Leost, her involvement in the game remains a mystery.
Whatever the case, people, be nice to each other.
