French gaming studio Quantic Dream said allegations of inappropriate behaviour are a media smear campaign
- The heads of PlayStation-focused French development studio Quantic Dream, David Cage and Guillaume de Fondaumière, have been accused of fostering an unhealthy environment by three separate reports in the media.
- Quantic Dream immediately took distance from the reports, denying the allegations.
- The studio has now released a new statement, in which it remarks its position, to "defend the reputation of our studio and to save the jobs."
French development studio Quantic Dream has released a second official statement on Tuesday, in which it reiterates its position against previous allegations made against them in the French press.
Last month, some French media outlet - most notably Le Monde, one of the two biggest national newspapers - published reports in which they depicted an unhealthy studio culture, specifically pointing out the seemingly inappropriate behaviour of Quantic Dream heads David Cage and Guillaume de Fondaumière.
Cage and de Fondaumière were accused of misconduct, overworking staff, and turning a blind eye to a juvenile culture involving sexist and racist jokes. They also allegedly circulated an email chain containing some 600 pictures with homophobic, sexual slurs and even Nazi-inspired imagery.
Quantic's Twitter statement is in French, but you can see a full translation below:
In its statement, Quantic Dream said the studio "has been the subject of a veritable smear campaign from certain media, based on slanderous remarks whose veracity, origin, and sources are questionable.
"We again categorically refute the allegations made against the studio, its employees, and its managers. We hope these unfounded attacks and the resulting spread of inaccurate information will finally stop to protect our employees."
In addition to that, the developer of triple-A PlayStation games such as "Heavy Rain," "Beyond: Two Souls," and the forthcoming, much-anticipated "Detroit: Become Human" mentions that "two employees who brought claims to an industry tribunal had their claims dismissed in a judgement on January 19," and that "a third judgement on the case is in dispute."
Here's the translated statement:
"Since January 14 2018, Quantic Dream has been the subject of a veritable smear campaign from certain media, based on slanderous remarks whose veracity, origin, and sources are questionable.
"We again categorically refute the allegations made against the studio, its employees, and its managers. We hope these unfounded attacks and the resulting spread of inaccurate information will finally stop to protect our employees We repeat that, to date, we have no knowledge of any complaints about "harassment and discrimination".
"We confirm that two employees who brought claims to an industry tribunal had their claims dismissed in a judgement on January 19, and a third judgement on the case is in dispute.
"Several other legal actions are otherwise underway to defend our studio's reputation, and to safeguard the employees of a small French business at the top of its field. We are confident in justice, and hope there will be a decision quickly, made in a serene and calm climate."