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Almost two years ago, several employees of Rocksteady Studios, the developer behind the Batman: Arkham series, sent a letter to management accusing the studio of failing to prevent sexual harassment and sexism in the workplace, according to a new report from The Guardian.
The letter, which was reportedly sent to management in November 2018, was signed by 10 of the 16 women employed at the London-based studio. Several issues addressed in the management letter include continued unprofessional behavior in the office, such as derogatory and sexually explicit remarks about women, slurs targeting the transgender community, and various forms of sexual harassment “in the form of” unwanted advances, suspicious of some parties. a woman’s body and inappropriate comments in the office.
A person who signed the letter said The Guardian this sexual misconduct had also bled into studio projects, claiming that the designs of several characters, including Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, were highly sexualized.
According to one of the The gardians sources, after sending the letter to management, the company held a one-hour training session to address the issues raised in the letter. Participants who attended would have been asked to sign a declaration acknowledging that they had attended the seminar. But other than this seminar, no additional steps were taken to create a safer environment, according to the source.
The signer said she shared the letter with The Guardian after Ubisoft announced that new steps are being taken internally to create a safe and healthy working environment, which includes several high-level employees leaving the company and the studio tying bonuses to team leaders based on their ability to create a more inclusive environment in the workplace. Ubisoft has been under intense scrutiny since June, when dozens of people came out on social media about the company’s toxic work culture, and new allegations are still pending.
In a statement to The Guardian, a Rocksteady spokesperson admitted to receiving several complaints about inappropriate behavior in the workplace:
From day one at Rocksteady Studios, we set out to create a place where people are taken care of, a place fundamentally built on respect and inclusion. In 2018, we received a letter from some of our employees expressing their concerns at the time, and we immediately took firm action to address the issues raised. Over the next two years, we listened intently and learned from our employees, making sure everyone on the team felt supported. In 2020, we are more passionate than ever to continue to develop our inclusive culture and we are determined to defend all of our staff.
The Guardian says after soliciting comment, Rocksteady held a meeting of all, which reportedly addressed the returned 2018 letter for the first time and told the outlet that further steps were being taken to prevent further discrimination at the venue of work.
The announcement comes at a very difficult time for Rocksteady. While the studio hasn’t released a new game since 2016, they are currently developing a new Suicide Squad game, which he plans to reveal later this week.
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