There’s been a lot of talk over the past year about poor working conditions over at developer Quantic Dream. But it looks like things might be worse than expected for the developers behind Detroit: Become Human as there have been claims of sexual harassment and assault at the studio.
Game Workers Unite announced that it has put out a call for testimonies regarding potential sexual harassment at the studio. It’s working closely with French union Solidaires Informatique as part of an investigation. It notes various reports about rumored “sexual predators” working at the studio.
“We have been informed of acts of sexual harassment and sexual assault committed against women who work and have worked in the company,” the group said. “These offenses are extremely serious and are punishable by law, however they seem to be repeated with impunity for several years because of a strong omerta, this must stop.”
This follows reports that came out last year regarding poor working conditions at the mostly-male studio. Since then, Cage said that they were “suing their journalists” over the false reports. But we haven’t heard anything about it since. This report may put the studio’s culture in the limelight in another negative way.
The claims back in 2018 noted not only long hours working at the studio, but an unhealthy work environment. These included a number of racist and sexist jokes, along with inappropriate photos mimicking sexual acts. Cage has denied this happening, though he has yet to comment on the report.
The group encourages those that want to talk about their experiences can reach out at contact@solidairesinformatique.org. We’ll let you know if we hear anything further on the investigation.
This all seems like a part of a growing trend to combat abuse within development studios. NetherRealm recently came under fire in a few reports, detailing how it abuses and harasses its employees. Riot Games recently held a walkout to protest forced arbitration and sexism. Epic was in the news last month for its practices concerning crunch around Fortnite.
The company released Detroit: Become Human for PlayStation 4 last year, to mostly great success. Since that time, it’s also worked out a partnership with Epic Games to bring that game – and others – to the PC front. There is no word yet if this investigation will put this deal on hold or not.
