Apex Legendsdeveloper Respawn Entertainment issued a statement today calling for the community to stop harassing staff members. It is unclear what specific incident prompted Respawn to issue this statement, though the relationship between Respawn Entertainment and theApex Legendscommunity has not been wholly positive.
Founded by former Infinity Ward developers, Respawn Entertainment is known for theTitanfallseries,its hero-shooter spinoffApex Legends, and the action RPGStar Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. ManyTitanfallfans have criticized Respawn for seemingly abandoning the series in favor of the live-service spinoff. The hero-shooter also faces regular criticism for its bugs and unbalanced classes. However, some of this feedback appears to have crossed the line into personal attacks on Respawn employees.
RELATED:Early Version of Apex Legends’ Rampage LMG Lit Enemies on Fire
Respawn Entertainment addressed the recent harassmentin a statement on Twitter on Thursday. The message opens with Respawn alleging that studio employees have seen a recent increase in personal attacks and harassment. Respawn says that “We welcome community input, however, the line between constructive feedback and the harassment of our dev team cannot be crossed.” Respawn Entertainment went on to reiterate its zero-tolerance policy toward threats and harassment.
The statement warns that the studio takes its employee’s health and safety very seriously and will take the “appropriate action” in response to further harassment. However, the statement concludes with Respawn saying it appreciates community feedback. The studio says that it hopes “to foster a respectful, collaborative environment and uphold the competitive integrity of the game.”
That closing statement resulted in some grumbling from certainTitanfallandTitanfall 2fans, who saw the comment as proof that Respawn only cares aboutApex Legends. Others suggested that the developer brought it on themselves for failing to addressApex Legends’ bugs and balance issues. Other criticisms include accusations of greed and broken promises, with several other replies bringing upApex Legends’ lack of cross-progression.
However, most of the Twitter replies were positive, expressing support for Respawn Employees and approving of how the company responded to the situation. Other replies directly pushed back against the implication that problems with the game somehow justified personal attacks against members of the development team. Respawn’s statement also attracted attention from other studios, withDestinyandDestiny 2developer Bungieexpressing its support.
Again, it’s unclear which specific comments prompted Respawn to issue yesterday’s statement. However, this would not be the first time fans resorted to personal attacks against individual members of a development team,as oneDestiny 2developer experienced in June. Furthermore, the number of comments defending, or at least appearing to defend, the harassment may give some insight into how certain community members feel towardApex Legendsand Respawn Entertainment. Fortunately, that does not seem to be representative of the community as a whole.
Apex Legendsis currently available on Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
MORE:Apex Legends: Explaining Loba’s Heirloom and Her Family Heritage
