The Activision Blizzard lawsuit needs no introduction at this point. The harrowing allegations that have subsequently surfaced online and the ongoing discord between developers and company leadership has left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. In the midst of this, there has been much debate over whether fans should boycott Activision Blizzard games until meaningful action has been taken or not.
Some are of the view that a boycott hurts the very developers that have been wronged by the leadership. Others argue that, ultimately, it is Activision Blizzard’s management and shareholders that benefit from game sales, and that developers are just a small part of the equation.
Diablo II: Resurrected design director Rob Gallerani has weighed in on the matter, telling Axios that he believes those considering purchasing the upcoming title should “do what they feel is right.”
“It was definitely very troubling to hear these types of things,” Gallerani said of the allegations. “And we really wanted to support our colleagues and our co-workers.”
Blizzard has since gone over Diablo II to remove any content that would now be deemed distasteful. That includes making female Amazon warriors actually look like warriors as opposed to characters that look like they “rolled out of a nightclub.”
Gallerani told Axios that the team has been self-reflecting since the lawsuit was made public, and management has reached out to employees for feedback.
“We heard a lot of really positive things, but I don’t think that we ever get a pass on that,” Gallerani said. “We always need to keep asking.”
[Source: Axios]
