Orcs Must Die! Unchained designer Jerome K. Jones said last week that "toxic players" aren't just a fact of online gaming life, but are actually a desirable audience—not for their bad behavior, but for the "passion" they bring to the games the play. In a follow-up statement, however, developer Robot Entertainment said there's a big difference between passion and toxicity, and insisted that bad behavior will not be tolerated.
In the wake of a powerfully negative response to Jones' statement that there's "probably something good" about the presence of toxic players in online games because it means they're "passionate enough to give a damn," Robot Entertainment clarified that "toxic players that worsen the experience for the Orcs Must Die! Unchained community absolutely will not be tolerated."
"Earlier today a headline suggested that Robot Entertainment welcomes toxic players in Orcs Must Die! Unchained. In the full interview, we acknowledged that toxic players are an unfortunate facet of multiplayer gaming. We made clear that we want to hear from all players no matter how passionate they may be. Passionate but not toxic. We have an active community management team in place that will address toxic players quickly and decisively," the studio wrote.
Robot said its efforts to build an "encouraging and uplifting community" for Orcs Must Die! Unchained will be aided by input from players during the closed beta period, which is now underway. "Community feedback has always been an integral part of the Robot development process, and we want to ensure we hear from all players including our most passionate of players," it continued. "But if a person chooses to restrict or impede upon the gameplay and community experience with inappropriate behavior, then we will ensure they are disciplined and, if needed, banned."
Robot Entertainment's statement can be read in full at OrcsMustDie.com.
