Square Enix has introduced a brand new “group buyer harassment coverage” geared toward defending its staff and companions from dangerous habits and actions taken by its followers and followers.
“Square Enix believes that the suggestions, feedback and requests acquired from our clients are important to the development of our group’s services and products,” the brand new coverage states. “At the identical time, there are cases the place sure clients take actions immediately or by way of our help facilities, or in direction of our group executives, staff, [or] companions who’re concerned within the creation and distribution of our group services and products, that represent ‘buyer harassment’.
“Such actions don’t solely stop our staff and companions from partaking of their work with a way of safety but additionally causes disruptions to different clients. Square Enix won’t tolerate harassment and can take motion as essential.”
Those actions vary from refusing help requests and implementing bans to, in circumstances “the place such motion is egregious or with malicious intent,” authorized motion and presumably even felony proceedings.
As unlucky as it’s that this type of factor must be spelled out, recreation firms are more and more being pressured to take specific motion in opposition to abusive followers. In 2023, Destiny 2 studio Bungie received a $500,000 award in opposition to a “racist shitstain” who harassed and threatened a group supervisor, and in 2024 issued everlasting bans in opposition to gamers who aimed poisonous abuse at certainly one of its builders throughout a livestream. Colossal Order CEO Mariina Hallikainen additionally warned in opposition to rising toxicity amongst Cities: Skylines 2 gamers in 2024, saying the studio could should “pull again our engagement” with the group if it retains up.
As famous on this Reddit thread, Square Enix has confronted a big degree of abuse prior to now as nicely. Final Fantasy author Kazushige Nojima stated in February 2024 that he “felt afraid” after dealing with “insults and violent phrases” from a supposed fan, and Final Fantasy 14 voice actor Sena Bryer stated later within the 12 months that she confronted transphobic abuse together with “misgendering, loss of life/rape threats, doxxing makes an attempt, [and] threats in opposition to my household” for her portrayal of Wuk Lamat. In GDC’s 2023 State of the Game Industry survey, 91% of respondents stated participant harassment of recreation builders is an issue for the business, notably amongst girls and members of the LGBTQ+ group.
