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[ManaByte]

Apex Legends Lead Balance Designer Terminated After Controversial Remarks Surface; Dev Posts Apology

Apex Legends Lead Balance Designer Daniel Klein has confirmed he has been terminated by Respawn due to some of his controversial remarks in 2007.

mp1st.com

From the Titanfall people hacking the servers to this, the Respawn community is something else.

 

[BigBooper]

Why would anyone want to work for a company that cares so little about their employees that they fire over something so dumb from 14 years ago?

 

[ManaByte]

Why would anyone want to work for a company that cares so little about their employees that they fire over something so dumb from 14 years ago?

I don't think they fired him over that, more that the mob was angry and wouldn't be silenced until they got their scalp.

 

[MiguelItUp]

People are awful. This is horrible.

 

[carlosrox]

Goes on public apology tour, gets fucked over anyway.

Classy.

 

[Sleepwalker]

 

[kretos]

what kind of clowns have the free time on their hands to search for something someone wrote 14 years ago

 

[Silver Wattle]

People and companies need to stop supporting these Twitter crusades, only things said within the last two years should be looked into by companies, anything older than that should be ignored, not because the person couldn't still be a PoS, but because so many people deserve the chance to change and not be held liable for hateful things they said in the past.

2007 is so long ago, the PS3 was turning 1.

Fuck twitter crusades.

 

[prinz_valium]

Lmao. He agrees that person should've been fired. But I changed.

Fucking weak people.
I sand for anything I ever said in my life and will stand for anything I will ever say in my life. No matter if it's nice or bad.

 

[Corndog]

People and companies need to stop supporting these Twitter crusades, only things said within the last two years should be looked into by companies, anything older than that should be ignored, not because the person couldn't still be a PoS, but because so many people deserve the chance to change and not be held liable for hateful things they said in the past.

2007 is so long ago, the PS3 was turning 1.

Fuck twitter crusades.

Statute of limitations?

 

[Kilau]

I got really confused at (they/él) but a miss carriage is a nightmare, my sympathies.

 

[ManaByte]

Statute of limitations?

Dude the fucking teenage keyboard warriors who do this shit don't even know what that is.

 

[Beelzebubs]

The internet:

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Cringeworthy employees who love social media and interacting with their fanbase. Cringeworthy fanbase who love social media and interacting with employees.

Sounds like a match made in heaven to me.

If you're going to put yourself out there on the net using your real name saying dumb things, be prepared to get some lumps.

Given how hilarious modern day drama queens are on Twitter providing endless laughs, whats the point of making your own Twitter profile?

 

[ManaByte]

f you're going to put yourself out there on the net using your real name saying dumb things, be prepared to get some lumps.

Yes this guy totally deserved to lose his baby and job for shitlord comments from 14 years ago. /s

 

[BigBooper]

I don't think they fired him over that, more that the mob was angry and wouldn't be silenced until they got their scalp.

I'm sure that's true. I just wish the executives had some backbone. The screechers only win if you let them.

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Yes this guy totally deserved to lose his baby and job for shitlord comments from 14 years ago. /s

Never said he deserved it. But gotvto

But that’s the way the social media works, especially in gaming and politics where people have a knack for hunting down old archives of people’s history.

14 years ago is when FB started picking up steam with the general public. If someone posted something dumb and it’s still in their profile page it’s begging to be cancel cultured if you are part of certain jobs.

 

[Men_in_Boxes]

Companies more scared of woke blowback than based blowback. It'll keep happening until the scale shifts back.

 

[Shifty1897]

And this is why I can never have a job as a public figure

 

[matty3092]

When will companies realise that bending the knee to these retards never works

 

[MrFunSocks]

CaNcEL CuLtUrE DoEsN't ExIsT!

Scum of the earth these sad little pussies that do this are. Beware the danger hair!

 

[kanjobazooie]

Dude got cancelled for an edgelordy joke that wasn't even funny. It sounds like it was written by one of those angry "incels".

Nonetheless, my condolences to him and his wife. Losing a child is heavy stuff and I've seen with my eyes how it can really wreck people.
I hope they can recover from this as soon as possible.

 

[kingfey]

At this point, FUCK these piece of garbage mobs. Fuck your claims.

 

[ethomaz]

What exactly he said in 2007?

Edit: I found it… I’m shocked how he found a Saint woman to marry him… he probably changed a lot.

BTW I don’t think he was fired due that… it is just a lame excuse… something else happened and the Respawn board already wanted to fire him.

 

[Halo is Back]

The people who try to find dirt on others from years ago are truly pathetic. They should get a taste of their own medicine one day.

 

[Hitchyhero]

I'm not suprised that neogaf has completely decided with someone who (used) to be racist and sexist without question.

I get that everything is not as black and white and I wouldn't call him a bad person. He seems genuialy regretful. But straight away users here have defended racist actions unequivocally and threw terms around like "woke".

 

[ManaByte]

I'm not suprised that neogaf has completely decided with someone who (used) to be racist and sexist without question.

I get that everything is not as black and white and I wouldn't call him a bad person. He seems genuialy regretful. But straight away users here have defended racist actions unequivocally and threw terms around like "woke".

 

[kanjobazooie]

I'm not suprised that neogaf has completely decided with someone who (used) to be racist and sexist without question.

I get that everything is not as black and white and I wouldn't call him a bad person. He seems genuialy regretful. But straight away users here have defended racist actions unequivocally and threw terms around like "woke".

He apparently wrote that stupid shit in a humor blog. So that makes him as much of a sexist/racist as something like South Park or GTA.

It would be a different story if he said it in a different venue or even worse to a woman's face.

(for the record, I myself am "woke" to an extent)

 

[Shmunter]

What did he say?

 

[JoeBudden]

Lol if I'm right, this is the same guy who was saying CRAZY shit online and he was near 30yo when he was saying that shit. Complete weirdo stuff about killing women and shit.

Yeah, I don't feel bad if your employer sees that shit. You know better in your late 20s. Don't matter how long ago it was, you were a grown man who knew better, but still chose to be a weirdo because "it's funny".

Everything has consequences. That's life.

 

[Boss Mog]

Well to be fair if he was in charge of game balance then he should be fired, but not for something he said 14 years ago but because the game has become so unbalanced. Same goes for whoever is in charge of SMBB, they obviously can't do their job either. I love Apex but lately the balance and SMBB issues make it harder to enjoy.

 

[Silver Wattle]

Lol if I'm right, this is the same guy who was saying CRAZY shit online and he was near 30yo when he was saying that shit. Complete weirdo stuff about killing women and shit.

Yeah, I don't feel bad if your employer sees that shit. You know better in your late 20s. Don't matter how long ago it was, you were a grown man who knew better, but still chose to be a weirdo because "it's funny".

Everything has consequences. That's life.

Was there more recent posts by him? Because if it's only the 14 year old stuff then I completely disagree with you.

Forever holding people accountable by things they said in the distant past only serves to drive society further apart due to being unforgiving assholes.

 

[JoeBudden]

Was there more recent posts by him? Because if it's only the 14 year old stuff then I completely disagree with you.

Forever holding people accountable by things they said in the distant past only serves to drive society further apart due to being unforgiving assholes.

If he was a kid when he said it then I'd be inclined to forgive him, because kids do stupid shit and don't know better

But he was almost 30yo. And, like I said, he knew better and chose to roll the dice. I can't feel bad for that shit.

This isn't about forgiveness and punishment either. This is about providing a safe and inclusive working environment for your workers. And if someone on your team has openly spoken about wild sexist and racist shit, then obviously you need to do what you need to in order to make everyone else feel comfortable.

It's an unreasonable ask to demand everyone in the company to forgive what dude said and work with him. It's much easier to remove that person and fill his spot with someone else equally qualified.

 

[tassletine]

Lol if I'm right, this is the same guy who was saying CRAZY shit online and he was near 30yo when he was saying that shit. Complete weirdo stuff about killing women and shit.

Yeah, I don't feel bad if your employer sees that shit. You know better in your late 20s. Don't matter how long ago it was, you were a grown man who knew better, but still chose to be a weirdo because "it's funny".

Everything has consequences. That's life.

You may have noticed that 'life' and the rules society uses have been changing very rapidly recently.
About two years ago I came across a thread where people were seriously discussing why people who swear should be fined or put in prison.

But that's life eh? You are powerless and there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop that.
Absolutely nothing.....

 

[TheMay30thMan]

Completely uncalled for by the mobs. Unreasonable and unjustifiable for his employer. He bends over in his tweets though. He lost his job and his unborn child, then posts on Twitter that EA was “completely within their right” to terminate him? For something from 14 years ago? Have a goddamn backbone you weak, pathetic excuse of a man.

 

[JoeBudden]

Well to be fair if he was in charge of game balance then he should be fired, but not for something he said 14 years ago but because the game has become so unbalanced. Same goes for whoever is in charge of SMBB, they obviously can't do their job either. I love Apex but lately the balance and SMBB issues make it harder to enjoy.

Facts. The game is a complete joke if the dude who's responsible for balancing is completely fine with certain legends sitting at the bottom of various lists like pick rate and win rate for multiple seasons in a row (ex Rampart and Fuse)

 

[JoeBudden]

You may have noticed that 'life' and the rules society uses have been changing very rapidly recently.
About two years ago I came across a thread where people were seriously discussing why people who swear should be fined or put in prison.

But that's life eh? You are powerless and there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop that.
Absolutely nothing.....

This isn't about something trivial like swearing.

Dude was saying absolutely egregious shit online that would concern a lot of people today, mainly his coworkers. And it was all while he was a grown man at 30yo, not a child.

Like I said in another post, it's a lot easier to replace him than to ask everyone who works with him to forgive him and look past the shit he supposedly believes in.

This isn't your typical cancellation story over something ridiculously stupid and trivial. You wouldn't want to work next to someone like this guy if you knew what he was talking about on his free time.

 

[ramuh]

I'm actually torn on this. It's sucks that his 14 year old past has caught up to him, but how old was he when he said it? If he was underage I would be appalled at the 'mob'. Because by that same token, we would not allow kids who commit crimes to hold public office ever, get good jobs, or learn from their mistakes. But if you do something really stupid as an adult, a large company has every right to distance themselves from you. I wish his family well in this time.

 

[Optimus Lime]

Just once. Just ONCE, instead of watching one of these people collapse into a gibbering mess off barely coherent begging and weeping and screams for mercy, I'd like them to turn around and go: 'Yeah. I made some off colour jokes. They weren't at you. So fuck off.'

Watching them shrieking in spasms of contrition as Twitter demands their scalps is so depressing and gross. And, I don't care how disgusting and offensive the jokes were. Who cares. Grow the fuck up.

 

[Jboemios]

Lmao. He agrees that person should've been fired. But I changed.

Fucking weak people.
I sand for anything I ever said in my life and will stand for anything I will ever say in my life. No matter if it's nice or bad.

This is what surprise me more. You get fucked by those psychos for something you said 4 years ago, and you still agree with them. Fucking pussy, no sympathy with him.

Also, dont come with the "he was an adult when he said" bullshit. Every one was making racist jokes in the 2000, and people still said it toda, only that the tell them in private.

 

[RPS37]

The words “The stress of this situation caused me the loss of a wanted pregnancy” makes me fucking cry.

 

[JoeBudden]

I'm not suprised that neogaf has completely decided with someone who (used) to be racist and sexist without question.

I get that everything is not as black and white and I wouldn't call him a bad person. He seems genuialy regretful. But straight away users here have defended racist actions unequivocally and threw terms around like "woke".

These are people who think sexism and racism can be forgiven, but console warring should result in a ban.

 

[Boss Mog]

This is about providing a safe and inclusive working environment for your workers.

Yeah you're pretty naive if you think that's what it's about, especially in an industry known for worker abuse. It's about protecting the company's image, nothing more. In today's world, companies must constantly show how woke they are so they avoid the wrath of Twitter. An employee saying the wrong things (even 15 years ago) is a huge stain that must be cleansed immediately.

 

[Jaysen]

The irony of losing one’s job for once being a complete pile of shit just because you reformed yourself and became a respectable human being, which angered people who currently are human garbage is intense. That happened to James Gunn, but fortunately his employer came to its senses and hired him back and in the process sent a message to the hate filled whiners that they can get fucked.

 

[Jaysen]

The people who try to find dirt on others from years ago are truly pathetic. They should get a taste of their own medicine one day.

Their current sad existence is probably punishment enough. People with fulfilling lives don’t do this kind of shit. Losers do.

 

[JoeBudden]

Yeah you're pretty naive if you think that's what it's about, especially in an industry known for worker abuse. It's about protecting the company's image, nothing more. In today's world, companies must constantly show how woke they are so they avoid the wrath of Twitter. An employee saying the wrong things (even 15 years ago) is a huge stain that must be cleansed immediately.

Do you honestly think maintaining your company's image/reputation and keeping your workers happy are mutually exclusive?

What do you think happens to your image when you force your employees to forgive and get along with someone who was outed in public for being egregiously sexist and racist?

 

[JoeBudden]

The irony of losing one’s job for once being a complete pile of shit just because you reformed yourself and became a respectable human being, which angered people who currently are human garbage is intense. That happened to James Gunn, but fortunately his employer came to its senses and hired him back and in the process sent a message to the hate filled whiners that they can get fucked.

People can insist they've changed as much as they want. It doesn't mean it's true.

 

[UnNamed]

Maybe this is because Respawn is a US company, and workers rights are different to EU, but if I had been fired for the same reason, and I think it's not fair, I would have sue my ex company.

 

[Halo is Back]

These are people who think sexism and racism can be forgiven, but console warring should result in a ban.

It can be forgiven because people change. I have seen it before my very eyes. To suggest that we hold people accountable forever for the things they did in the past without the capacity of forgiveness, would mean we abandon our humanity. That's toxic, and when the day comes your skeletons bear witness to the public you will cry for forgiveness. Do you really want to live in a world where we abandon our humanity in favor of witch hunts?

I'm not saying racist and sexist people are good, I'm saying if they changed their ways and treated others for the better in the future they deserve forgiveness and a second chance.

 

[nemiroff]

People can insist they've changed as much as they want. It doesn't mean it's true.

The irony is that some day you'll might have your spiritual awakening but according to your own rules you're barred from becoming a better human being. You should read Carl Jung (not a dig).