Dragonpunk Warns About Politically-Motivated Hiring Practices at AAA Gaming Companies Like Gearbox
The team behind Dragonpunk took to Twitter to outline that AAA game studios are hiring people based on their political ideology rather than their technical expertise or creativity.
Dragonpunk specifically pointed to their “final round of interviews at Gearbox” which they state only included political questions.
They shared their rejection email which stated:
“Thank you for your interest in Gearbox Software and for taking the time to chat with us about the Production Coordinator position.
While your skills are certainly impressive, we have decided to pursue other candidates for this position.
We will maintain your records and should a position open that matches your qualifications, we will contact you. We also encourage you to visit our website as new positions become available.
We appreciate your interest in our company and wish you success in your career search.”
A lot of game devs don’t talk about what they go through, because they don’t want to get blacklisted. I still have this email framed though. Final round of interviews at Gearbox, and only political questions – not a single game or technical question! pic.twitter.com/JlRXiXwNeC
— Dragonpunk (@DragonpunkGame) March 3, 2019
Dragonpunk would elaborate indicating these types of political questions are common among game companies.
No, in reality, it happens all the time and you accept it because you’re suppose to just be happy to have a game job. Between layoffs, etc. people are putting up with a lot of shady activity just to be employed. It’s not right, but just how the industry is right now.
— Dragonpunk (@DragonpunkGame) March 4, 2019
Dragonbox didn’t elaborate on the specifics of the questions Gearbox asked them, but they did indicate they tried to take a “centrist approach” when answering them.
I was trying to be honest, but tactful. Take a centerist approach. Apparently, that wasn’t enough for them.
— Dragonpunk (@DragonpunkGame) March 3, 2019
They add that these AAA companies like Gearbox don’t like people who have a reputation for “rocking the boat.” They continue, “If you’re problematic and don’t 100% think like they do, you’re written off.”
It’s not that blatant. It’s more like earning a reputation for “rocking the boat”. If you’re problematic and don’t 100% think like they do, you’re written off.
— Dragonpunk (@DragonpunkGame) March 3, 2019
Dragonpunk would then agree that politics are ruining the gaming industry.
Totally agreed!!!
— Dragonpunk (@DragonpunkGame) March 3, 2019
Dragonpunk’s statements about political ideology dictating hiring practices isn’t really much of a shock. Riot Games recently hired a Chief Diversity Officer whose stated goal is to “lead the recruiting team in driving inclusivity in Riot’s hiring and talent sourcing processes.” The Chief Diversity Officer will also “oversee all activity relating to diversity and inclusion, and will lead the creation of new programs to foster a more inclusive culture at Riot.”
This new position was created after Riot Games was accused of sexist behavior in the workplace. In a twist of fate, Riot would actually enact a sexist policy limiting two of their planned sessions at the PAX West convention to only “women and non-binary folk.”
What do you think of all of this? Has politics really infiltrated the gaming industry to this degree? Are companies willing to blacklist people for being in the wrong political tribe? Let me know your thoughts!
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