Open Roads Studio Co-Founder Steps Down Following Toxic Workplace Allegations, Issues Statement

Fullbright co-founder Steve Gaynor has departed his presumption arsenic originative pb connected the studio's caller crippled Open Roads pursuing allegations regarding the company's enactment culture. A caller study from Polygon shares a deeper look into the "toxic" enactment situation astatine Fullbright, pursuing soon aft the game's Twitter relationship shared a announcement of the enactment change. 

The authoritative Open Roads Twitter relationship offered a connection to fans astir Gaynor's alteration successful position. "We are a tiny squad passionate astir making an inclusive, poignant, story-driven crippled that gives players a feeling of discovery," begins the societal media post. "We attraction profoundly astir creating games that person a affirmative impact. We are besides fervent believers successful fostering a enactment situation that is steadfast and collaborative, wherever we tin enactment with transparency, autonomy, and trust.

"As such, Fullbright's co-founder Steve Gaynor has stepped backmost from his relation arsenic originative pb and manager and transitioned into a relation arsenic a writer, handing disconnected day-to-day responsibilities to the squad to implicit Open Roads. We're each excited by however the crippled is shaping up, and we anticipation you'll travel on arsenic we proceed to stock our progress."

Immediately aft the station went live, Polygon's report besides became public, sharing a person look astatine what led to the determination down the shift. In the report, the tract began by stating that 15 developers that person been moving connected Open Roads since its improvement successful 2019 person since near their positions wrong the studio. 12 of those 15 spoke with Polygon, citing Gaynor's actions and behaviour astatine enactment arsenic the reason. More specifically, the erstwhile employees person travel guardant to accidental astir of the alleged behaviour that led to their departure has been directed towards women. 

Polygon goes connected to enactment that the co-founder really departed from his presumption earlier this year, successful March 2021, erstwhile it "became clear" that the efforts enactment distant towards improving enactment relations were not effectual long-term. The employees that came guardant each wished to stay anonymous to debar retaliation and backlash as they opened up astir their reported experiences astatine Fullbright. Many of the stories person a controlling taxable tying them together, alleging that Graynor adopted a "high schoolhouse mean girl" cognition erstwhile it came to belittling, mocking, and dismissing his workers. 

Some of his erstwhile employees person gone connected to permission the gaming manufacture altogether, portion others recovered enactment astatine antithetic studios. Of the workplace allegations listed, those who spoke with the tract mentioned that they ne'er witnessed oregon experienced thing relating to intersexual harassment oregon "blatant sexism." This item is made wide amidst Activision Blizzard presently being sued by the authorities of California following intersexual misconduct and labour maltreatment allegations. 

Numerous erstwhile employees mentioned that women successful enactment positions wrong Fullbright were overly micromanaged, made amusive of, and mischaracterized whilst nether Gaynor's leadership. Those who stepped guardant said they wanted to travel guardant astir his behaviour but that they had "no existent process to bash so." While determination was sometimes a third-party consultant, determination were nary quality resources employees moving astatine Fullbright. 

The study besides details past instances wherever Gaynor was made alert of his reportedly toxic behaviors, adjacent citing that helium was warned about imaginable parallels betwixt him and a study astir Scavengers Studio's toxicity. According to the timeline presented by the site, it didn't instrumentality agelong earlier Annapurna Interactive, steadfast of Open Roads, stepped successful erstwhile enactment noticed that astir of the employees leaving were women. 

Leading up to his displacement wrong the company, employees made galore attempts to marque his behaviour known, including sending integer post-it notes done the interior servers and during exit interviews. Several developers adjacent sought retired the steadfast for a much nonstop approach.

A spokesperson for the workplace told Polygon that Annapurna is "aware of the situation" and "has been instrumental successful helping the Open Roads squad marque changes to its structure."

Gaynor has present addressed the allegations with the pursuing note: 

To larn much astir Gaynor's enactment style, you tin work the full study from Polygon here. 

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