Notes

World of Warcraft Players are Organizing Sit-in Protests Following Blizzard Allegations



World of Warcraft players have been protesting in sit-ins over Blizzard allegations.

Oribos is an excellent alternative to California protests.



By Cass Marshall, July 22 2021 at 2:39pm



Oribos World of Warcraft's social hub, is currently crowded with players. However, this is not due to a new raid. A large number of players are participating in an in-game protest against Activision Blizzard after a lawsuit was filed Tuesday by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. The court documents assert that the company had an organization with a "fratboy culture" which made female employees subject to "constant sexual harassment."



The protest was organized by Fence Macabre, a role-play guild that hosts faction-neutral stories on the Wyrmrest Accord and Moon Guard servers. The group also runs an appeal to raise funds for Black Girls Code, an organization that teaches computer programming as well as digital technology to girls between 7-17.



Wednesday night's lawsuit was widely reported. Many players were shocked to learn about the supposed the culture of the sport that is so important to a lot of.



New members join the group when players leave the protest. Many of their accounts are "sub locked," which means that they have pre-paid game time on their account. I sat with the protesters for a while and watched the conversation ebb and flow. Some came to say goodbye and wish their fellow players luck. One elf claimed he was looking for a reason why he could return to Final Fantasy 14. Others at the sit-in used the occasion to express anger and frustration at certain Blizzard employees who were named in the suit, speculating in game chat about the person who wrote the company's response immediately.



Hinahina Gray, a deputy for Fence Macabre, and an authenticity reader who offers the Native Hawaiian perspective for media she spoke to Polygon about the protest. In a Discord message, she said that some of the people who joined us are still in limbo and are considering abandoning the communities they've created. "It's never an easy decision to leave such a big emotional investment to the side. Most of the people here have cancelled their subscription. We wanted to hold an in-game protest that would allow people from all walks of the world to join us. We have enough game time to try and do something with it.



She also acknowledged that making the right decision can be difficult for certain players.



Gray stated, "It is an emotional loss. A lot of people in our community are struggling. Spidermangaming Particularly, those who are marginalized, but are able to meet people who are like them and develop an identity." "As an indigenous queer person, I definitely feel it.


My Website: https://spidermangaming.com/