An industry survey shows that 75% of game developers have been victims of harassment

Individual harassment is taking on a new shape with increasing digitization and technological advancements. It was evident after 75% of game developers responding to an industry poll considered player harassment and toxic behavior a “serious” or “very serious” problem. About 40 percent of those surveyed stated that they had been harassed by other players or witnessed by a teammate. Those in community management, marketing, and public relations reported experiencing or witnessing harassment more often than those in other jobs

According to a source, the survey was conducted by the Game Developers Conference and its affiliated magazine Game Developer, which surveyed about 2,300 game developers from around the world. Ninety-one percent of respondents agreed that player harassment and developer toxicity were a problem in the industry. About 4% of the respondents replied that it was not a problem, while 5% were unclear.

An industry survey shows that 75% of game developers have been victims of harassment

On the other hand, men surveyed were less likely to report experiencing or witnessing harassment than women or non-binary individuals, while those who identified as members of the LGBTQ+ group were more likely to report experiencing or witnessing harassment.

In the past year, numerous studios have spoken out against the abuse of their employees, and some have even taken serious action, such as Bungie, which sued a player for allegedly threatening an employee.

In addition, about two-thirds (68%) of GDC survey respondents claimed that their employers had addressed harassment they had experienced or witnessed. A fifth reacted negatively, while 11% were unsure.

In this regard, one of the surveyors said:

I think setting clear and public boundaries, as well as calling on the community itself to help, can be effective. Big companies seem to fear that their toxic players are their fan base, not realizing that they are affecting much larger numbers of their actual fan base.

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