International
Black Myth: Wukong Faces Backlash Over Sexism Allegations at Game Science
Black Myth: Wukong faces controversy as Game Science, the studio behind the game, is accused of sexism. The backlash highlights broader issues of misogyny in the gaming industry.
The Chinese action-adventure game Black Myth: Wukong, widely hailed as a milestone for China's gaming industry, has become the subject of controversy due to concerns about sexism. While the game has garnered significant attention for its impressive visuals and gameplay, criticism has emerged regarding inappropriate behavior within its development team, particularly involving Game Science, the studio behind the game.
The controversy began when screenshots of inappropriate messages from the studio’s founder, Feng Ji, surfaced on the social media platform Weibo. These posts allegedly contained misogynistic remarks, lewd recruitment posters from the company have circulated online enraging the public. These posts have reportedly received over 400k likes, leading to widespread backlash, particularly from Chinese women in the gaming community who have always been affected by the misogyny in the gaming sector.
The situation highlights ongoing frustrations about the treatment of women in the gaming industry. Many female gamers and developers in China face harassment and exclusion, reflecting broader issues within the gaming world. Misogyny in gaming, both online and in the workplace, remains rampant, with derogatory jokes like "Go back to the kitchen" being disturbingly common. This toxic culture extends beyond gaming itself, influencing the environment within game development companies as well. This is many female gamers, to this very date, think twice before using voice comms in any game, which is very disappointing.
Women in the industry have voiced their concerns about this hostile atmosphere, which in turn has angered female gamers online. Comments like "Likewise. They already will get plenty of gamer bros buying their game just because they love the sexism of the developers, I'm not going to add to their profits" and "I was thinking about those articles all through the trailer. I hope the devs aren’t rewarded after the way they treated women" are a clear indication of how ragingly common this issue is in the industry.
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The backlash against Game Science and Black Myth: Wukong reflects the broader conversation about sexism in gaming and highlights the need for change both within the industry and in gaming culture at large.