Rocksteady reacts to staff harassment claims

(Image credit: Warner Bros)

A report in the Guardian today paints a sorry picture of Rocksteady's company culture. In 2018 more than half of the women working at the studio signed a letter describing a pattern of misogynistic harassment including claims of groping, unwanted advances, "slurs regarding the [transgender] community" and inappropriate comments in the office.

Reportedly the company tried to remedy this with one hour-long seminar, but one of the letter's signatories, who remains anonymous, passed the letter to the Guardian claiming that the culture at Rocksteady has not changed in the intervening years. The signatory pointed to Rocksteady's output as an indication of the problematic attitudes present within the studio.

She mentions the hypersexualised design of women in the Arkham games, most notably Catwoman, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn. Those comments resurrect a debate that took place around the launch of Arkham City when critics highlighted the gendered insults of male NPCs towards Catwoman. Kirk Hamilton at Kotaku highlighted a few choice phrases, and I can't sum up the debate better than Film Crit Hulk, who has been loudly yelling sensible opinions at the internet for years.

The Guardian's inquiries apparently triggered a moment of introspection for Rocksteady, which often tends to happen when internal company problems are about to go very public. 

In response to the Guardian story, Rocksteady offered the following comment: "Over the subsequent two years we have carefully listened to and learned from our employees, working to ensure every person on the team feels supported. In 2020 we are more passionate than ever to continue to develop our inclusive culture, and we are determined to stand up for all of our staff."

This arrives amid a storm at Ubisoft that has seen many top figures booted from the company over claims of sexual misconduct. Comments saying that gaming is having a #MeToo moment seem reductive, but going public with concerns like this ought to encourage other developers and publishers to hold themselves to account knowing that, in 2020, not everything that happens inside a studio stays inside the studio.

Tom Senior

Part of the UK team, Tom was with PC Gamer at the very beginning of the website's launch—first as a news writer, and then as online editor until his departure in 2020. His specialties are strategy games, action RPGs, hack ‘n slash games, digital card games… basically anything that he can fit on a hard drive. His final boss form is Deckard Cain.

Latest in Gaming Industry
Aloy - Horizon
'I feel worried about this art form:' Unsurprisingly, the real Aloy from Horizon isn't a fan of AI Aloy
Geralt, two swords on his back, in the wilderness
2011 was an amazing comeback year for PC gaming
Assassin's Creed meets PUBG
Ubisoft is reportedly talking to Tencent about creating a new business entity to manage Assassin's Creed and other big games
Possibility Space concept art.
Possibility Space owners sue NetEase for $900 million over allegations it spread 'false and defamatory rumors' of fraud at the studio that ultimately forced it to close
Valve soldier man on a pc.
2024 was Steam's 'best year ever' of users buying newly released games—but I wouldn't celebrate the end of the forever game era just yet
Money money money.
Valve tracked 1.7 million Steam users who joined in 2023 to see if they stuck around—they did, and they spent $93 million
Latest in News
Aloy - Horizon
'I feel worried about this art form:' Unsurprisingly, the real Aloy from Horizon isn't a fan of AI Aloy
Crying laughing emoji with disturbing realistic elements for REPO
REPO's first update will add a new map and a 'duck bucket' so we can finally give that pesky quacker a time out
Man facing camera
The Day Before studio reportedly sues Russian website for calling infamous disaster-game a 'scam'
Will Poulter holding a CD ROM
'What are most games about? Killing': Black Mirror Season 7 includes a follow-up to 2018 interactive film Bandersnatch
Casper Van Dien in Starship Troopers
Sony, which is making a Helldivers 2 movie, is also making a new Starship Troopers movie, but it's not based on the Starship Troopers movie we already have
Assassin's Creed meets PUBG
Ubisoft is reportedly talking to Tencent about creating a new business entity to manage Assassin's Creed and other big games