Apex Legends developer Respawn has told players to stop harassing its employees.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the company said it has “seen increased harassment towards members of our development team” and said that while it welcomes constructive feedback, a line has been crossed.
It’s unclear whether the statement was issued in response to a specific incident or a broader uptick in toxicity aimed at Respawn employees, but the message from Respawn is clear: we’ve had enough.
“We want to remind our players that we have a zero tolerance policy for threats and the harassment of our developers. We will take appropriate action to ensure the health and safety of our team,” wrote the studio.
“We love hearing feedback and will continue to work alongside our community to foster a respectful, collaborative environment, and uphold the competitive integrity of our game.”
A growing concern
Respawn quickly garnered support from others in the industry. Destiny developer Bungie stood in solidarity with the EA-owned company, adding that “standing against toxicity and harassment takes all of us working together to build healthier communities,” while Santa Monica Studio creative director Cory Barlog also voiced his support.
This isn’t the first time in recent months a studio has issued a statement telling players to keep themselves in check.
Back in July, God of War Ragnarok developer Santa Monica Studio sought to protect its workforce by telling players that while their passion was inspiring, it “should not be toxic nor come at the expense of any human being’s dignity. Bungie also sued a player called Luca “inkwell” Leone earlier this year for in-game cheating and harassing its workforce.
Those incidents, alongside Respawn’s own assertions that harassment aimed at its team is rising, indicate that player communities need to quickly get a grip or risk being frozen out of the conversation by studios and developers whose patience is understandably wearing thin.
