After the controversies that arose at Activision Blizzard and Ubisoft, the layoffs followed one another at both companies. The two companies were involved in similar situations, with harassment and abuse against female employees. Now, Respawn Entertainment has fired Daniel Z. Klein, the lead designer of Apex Legends.
This announcement has been shared by the developer himself on his Twitter account, exposing the relationship between his departure from the studio with some comments made on a blog in 2007. Below you have the beginning of his thread on the social network, along with his full statements.
As of last Friday, I am no longer working at Respawn. I want to be very open here and say that I'm heartbroken and depressed. It's been a very dark few days.
- Daniel Zenon Klein (@danielzklein) August 10, 2021 Since last Friday, I no longer work at Respawn. I want to be very open here and say that I am devastated and depressed. It has been a very dark few days. You may or may not have seen the horrible and bigoted things I said in 2007. I totally agree that THAT guy should have been fired. I have invested so much energy in becoming a better person since then, and right now I am very depressed because I feel like I will never be able to make up for what I was. I said racist and sexist things, not because I deeply believed in any of them, but because I knew that it could provoke a reaction in people. That doesn't excuse anything I said; the impact of my words was the same regardless of what I believed. I mention this because with the help of many people who loved me despite how idiotic I was at times, I was able to advance on the path to becoming a better person. If my story can help a person in a similar position see that there is a way to improve, it would at least serve a purpose. Again, to be clear, I am not saying that EA or Respawn did anything wrong. They were absolutely within their right to fire me, no matter how much I disagree with that decision. I wish I could take some time to deconstruct myself, but that's not how my brain works. I have crippling anxiety and if I at least don't start looking for a new job, that anxiety will eat me alive. If you know of something that fits my skill profile, please let me know. Lastly, I am very sorry for the Apex team. This is a headache they didn't need. I know what your future plans are and I absolutely believe that Apex has a bright future. So many cool things are coming. I wish I could have worked on that. Anyway, if we meet and you want to talk, please contact me. If we haven't talked before, give me some space now. I will be back.
The 50 best online multiplayer video games to play with friends
Racist and sexist comments
A publication made in Deviant Art by Klein in 2007 has led to its departure from Apex Legends. You can consult it through this link and it includes sexist comments such as "when was the last time a woman behaved rationally?", Pointing out that XX are the "idiotic chromosomes" or that a particular woman should be ignored, since "it is only the vagina that speaks".
On the other hand, another publication has also been found in which he performs racist comments about Africans. As they point out from Fanbyte, these publications came to light after the lawsuit filed against Activision Blizzard and the solidarity shown by Klein with this matter on social networks.
