As each day comes to a close, you can rely upon all of us at TheGamer for a brief round-up covering the top news stories from the video game industry. Today’s daily update includes a new development from the ongoing Activision Blizzard lawsuit filed by the state of California for workplace harassment and discrimination. You’ll also get a brief on stories involving Niantic’s Pokemon Go backlash, Nintendo’s stock prices, Elden Ring, and Back 4 Blood.
Activision Blizzard Report Demonstrates Long-Time Culture Of Abuse
In the weeks following the Activision Blizzard lawsuit filed by the state of California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, reports have continued to surface detailing some of the horrific conditions marginalized employees continue to face. The company’s chief compliance officer, Frances Townsend, called the allegations, “old, and out of context,” but a new report demonstrates that Blizzard has fostered this culture for well over a decade – and it only grew worse under Activision’s watch.
According to Bloomberg, the acquisition “pushed Blizzard staff to hit unrealistic deadlines and do more work with fewer resources, increasing stress and overtime across all levels.” And in situations of workplace misconduct, managers did not report alarming behavior out of fear their teams would be stretched too thin.
Niantic Releases Statement To Fan Backlash Following Pokemon Go Distance Changes
Within the last month, Pokemon Go’s community has grown unhappy with how developer Niantic intends to reverse changes made to the mobile game to make things easier during the pandemic. The backlash has been intense, with a hashtag campaign – #HearUsNiantic – and a massive petition with voices from around the community. Niantic has acknowledged the fan outcry, and will deploy a task force to investigate how it can best address the controversy around PokeStop and gym distances.
Nintendo’s Stock Takes A Tumble
Pokemon as far as the eye can see, a new Metroid, and countless other projects in the pipeline may lead you to believe Nintendo is constantly on the up and up, but that wasn’t the case today. The gaming giant saw its biggest dip in company stock prices in two years, which analysts attribute to pandemic woes and how many newer players may put down their Switch in favor of getting outside again.
Elden Ring Finally Has Its Own Steam Page
Elden Ring is no longer a thing of myth, kind of. The enigmatic project with George R. R. Martin attached finally has its own Steam page ahead of that 2022 release date, currently scheduled for January 20. It’s up for pre-order now, so you can wishlist the much-anticipated Soulslike before the new year.
Back 4 Blood’s Beta Takes Off On Steam
Turtle Rock’s spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead is already off to a good start, and this is only for the beta. It’s hardly been a full 24 hours since the game opened its doors to welcome in new Cleaners, but the game is already one of Steam’s most active. The current record for its peak is a whopping 88,403 players. That’s a lot of folks. If you’re still on the fence, you can check out our preview where we went hands-on with Back 4 Blood’s intense PVP and PVE modes.
