Ori Developers Call Out Toxic Behavior at Moon Studio

After seeing how the CEO reacted to people who didn't like the ending of Will of the Wisps... I'm not actually all that surprised. Thomas seems like kind of a dick.

This is really just some butt hurt developer. Oh toxic behaviour. Must be raised in some sterile lab. It is unfortunate that this world has become so sensitive to casual jokes.

What a load of crap. Imagine believing any of this. More activists and nutjobs on the hunt.

Are you serious right now? WHY!?

You're all whiners. Ridiculous how everyone shits on a studio over this.

too bad, Ori is my fav game of all times, too bad to hear this, thanks for sharing your reaction Destin.

Ori games are absolutely amazing! That’s all I care about personally.

No bro Noooo . Its a unique game one and only . Goddamit man .

Bro this just sounds like my friend group on discord. I think they treat the employees as friends and not wage workers

These are allegations. Not everyone can hold your hand while you work and allegations doesn’t mean truth. Cancel culture based on allegations and not real evidence is what’s wrong with millennials. This has to stop. It’s ruining everything ! Ppl feel trauma over words? Oh puh-leeze. I’m Jewish & tired of cancel culture given to every Jewish business owner. It’s so nazi. Like ppl that hate Jews are looking for an excuse over allegations to cancel us. Words only have meaning when you’re dramatic to get attention and give them meanings and hearsay isn’t true just because two ex employees say it. It’s hearsay! You all gotta stop and only cancel on facts not allegations. You’re the reason we don’t have Ori 3 and if you’re that uncomfortable then quit and get another job. How do we know the former employees weren’t fired for not doing their jobs they’re paid to do and are butt hurt and making allegations as revenge? Again absurd allegations without proof, just hearsay off of ex employees that could be seen as cancel culture revenge.

Bruh they ra'ped them mentaly with the pp joke

This is like the artesian builds situation

honestly, they dont need to apologise

the people who threw the allegations needs to get a grip, just cause ur feeling hurt by words doesnt mean u need to create a tantrum, people are way too sensitive nowadays, this is coming from someone who gets something similar too, i worked at a restaurant and trust it can get bad, but no one there are holding grudges for arguments that can get very loud and crazy, if u do hold a grudge you are not trusted to be around and looked at differently. Nothings that serious to lose ur mind over, you either laugh it off, or fire back with your own words then laugh it off lol, then u carry on with ur day doing things like normal, how empty does ur life need to be to feel offended by words, im sorry but i got a lot of things i love in my life to worry about more than jokes and work pressure, but most people nowadays have big but fragile egos to let good things exist. petty people, i despise those type.

Not to say this isn’t true, I have no idea, I’m not in a position to know and I imagine the reporting outlets hopefully did some due diligence. No one should have to work in a hostile or toxic environment. But as we keep hearing more and more of these things from studios and companies inside and outside of the gaming industry, I think it is our responsibility to not rush to conclusions. These kinds of claim should generally need to be backed up. The fact of the matter is, some employees, in most all companies have a disposition or a feeling of entitlement, that lends itself to perceiving a situation in a negative light that really isn’t. Again, not saying that’s what if happening here, but I think people should remember, one or two people speaking out does not equate to a consensus on how the company in question treats their people. Everyone lives a somewhat different experience with their employer. Now, the fact Moon is fairly small and has multiple people speaking out does strengthen the veracity of these claims I think. Just something that’s been on my mind a bit with all the news of late. Perception of the few does not always equal the reality

I've been a game dev for over 20 years by now and have worked closely with the people involved in Ori back in the day and it was obvious from day 1 that Mahler abused his co-workers. BUT: Nobody left. And I turned into that ungrateful guy talking smack about successful companies. Actually had the very same experience with CD Projekt Red, but can one openly talk about it, without being banned from the industry? No way. I don't know how I could've made things better, because I actually called him out, to be ridiculed by EVERYONE afterwards. Fuck Mahler, but fuck the industry as well. They're all in this together.

Hi Destin....a challenge to you...you have a slight beard going on sometimes👍but are mostly clean shaven...could you let it grow abit..i think it looks great on you...can you let it grow for a short time and then you can shave it..

Casual racism and sexism? Sounds like a normal day on one of my construction sites😆 People in the trades can tell the difference between jokes and personal attacks though. Sensitive people don't last long in construction.

Something has to be wrong with any team that would create the end of ori and the will of the wisp! 😡😠😤

As a HUGE HUGE fan of the games... This hurts. This really hurts.

It does seem like there isn't a workplace anywhere today where employees don't feel "uncomfortable".
I work in tech for 30 and it's hard to believe the reported extent of "casual racisml, sexism and bullying" really occurs in these workplaces today. These particular offenses are at the very top of public discourse and opprobrium and are almost universally rejected by the demographic that wish and run these workplaces.
Criticism of your work and being "stingy with praise" sound like complaints from a bunch of children. It's also noticeable that no claims of unlawful behaviour have been made despite sexism, and racist being unlawful in almost any workplace environment. Call me a cynic but I feel there is a combination of bandwagoning and hypersensitivity at play here.

Kind of wierd when Destin skips a day on videos.

Mental health issues …. Really?? Over a game character wow humans are becoming so weak and sensitive it just funny how can someone get mental issues over been uncomfortable at work lol just quit and go find somewhere else to work i mean mental issues sounds like a big deal big deal if they come here where i work i they’ll go crazy then lol 😂 we have to be stronger than that or this world 🌎 is going yo end soon

Say? Is that the limited edition Halo Infinate Series X console behind you Destin? lol To think how upset I was, I missed out on getting one. I guess its true, some things in life happen for a reason, cause if I had splurged & got it, it would constantly remind me of Halo Infinate.

This comment won’t be well liked. Bt I personally would lien to see either Xbox aquire moon or fix the relationship between them. Especialy since they are acquiring activision and they plan on fixing the culture there. So hopefully if they did. They could fix it at moon as well. I love ori. And I believe that hopefully they can either mend the bridges. Or flat out acquire them

Hi Destin, I watch your show almost everyday

Im all for these Devs exposing hostile work conditions. But let's also start leaking info on these games that are being released half finished or when consumers are flat out being lied to about.

Oh no harsh language, how will I ever cope.

Studio sounds good in my opinion. With every year that passes the world seems to be more cut and dry, a dance around every subject because people quote on quote feel uncomfortable. I would love to work for a studio that has an overall more free exchange.

You know, I'm ten minutes in and I don't get it.

Please read the whole VB article as it is very well written.
Thing is, I'm an old after all and my work place abuse was significantly different growing up. I dealt with racism straight to my face, not getting paid, and real, you know, physical abuse.

Honestly though, that's it. Destin, I think your take on this on is just wrong. People don't always fit in where they work. That's just a fact. Prior to this what exactly have we heard that was negative about this studio? You would think this would have come out after the success of the first game if it were so bad, especially after the crunch allegations being such a big deal over the last couple of years. I mean, when CDPR was getting roasted, why wasn't this brought up then as well?

Brutal honesty doesn't mean you're being a dick. Being able to freely speak your mind and having people understand that is a good thing, especially when they could do the same. It honestly just sounds it was a bad fit. If someone says this is shit, you tell them to point out what is shit about it. At no point in that article did he (Dean Takehashi) report any kind of revenge, or getting back at people, or being terminated from the project (that I read, did I miss it?)

You are doing a poor job convincing me that this is a bad thing. The proof really is in the pudding here.

Also, did the rape thing make it in game? No, so it sounds like they eventually listened. How is that a negative thing? Should they have killed a dog? Is that ok? Maybe they want revenge because the person stole their mobile order cup of coffee and it was a low level criminal related to a crime boss. It's a plot device, pitched, railed against, and changed.

That's not bad and good on the ones with enough stones to not let it go.

The only real issue I have is that the royalty payment thing wasn't clarified. Like, do you have to keep working their to get your bonuses and payments even though the project you were contracted for was over, or that it just took some time, because you know, sales.

I'm only half way though, your vid, and I'll finish it, but you're sounding pretty damn preachy and accusatory here. Have you talked to them yourself or is this just you being upset about the article?

Sounds like Microsoft is about to buy another studio 🤭🤭

I'll never touch ori or anything coming from that shitty company, ever again.

I'm a mechanic and I wonder if these people actually know what a toxic work place really is like.

How convenient this comes out when studio decide to make third party games🤔

You know how many careers have horrible work life and nobody cares? I get it's not ideal, no one likes it but I can't understand why game devs get special attention.

The people at IGN that keep reporting on these "toxic" workplaces live in such a bubble. Most people don't like their jobs. We tough it out to pay the bills. That's the reality.

If you don't like it, you have choices. You can get a different job, stick it out, become homeless, or make your own company. If you make your own company, then you get to dictate the culture. I pray that no one then complains about the culture you decided to make.

Finally, I know liberals have a problem with synonyms, but being regretful is the same as being sorry. So they did apologize.

Can I just say, why is it only the gaming industry thay gets attention with "toxic" workplaces. I work in retail. They're are so many of us that work in a shit job. You get your head down and get on with it. Does that make it acceptable?. No, of course not. But some of us don't have the luxury of widespread media reporting on it

Sounds like MS will buy them out next year

I read the article and it sounds like a bunch of snowflake sandy vaginas. "Harsh language" seems to be the main complaint. If that's the criteria for an "oppressive"environment, these people need to work at dairy queen or a day care.

Oh a bit of bad language... How ever will they cope?

These developers complaining about abusive treatment wouldn't last a day in the military.

Anyone on UK(EU) ? Xbox Series X is now available on Amazon UK.

I'm all for safe and comfortable workspaces but you're nitpicking on the "we're sorry" issue is ridiculous... Must be a slow content day... Either way I'm unsubscibed

The screwed up thing is, the same things been going on in all of the entertainment industry for so long that to the people who run the game and movie and television studios, it’s generally business as usual. It’s a mentality that only grows worse over time, because those little things they’re able to get away with and multiplying to the point where they feel as if they can say and do anything. Not realizing that they’re destroying not only the people working around them… But the industry as a whole. When you have pushed people to the point where they essentially don’t want to continue participating and working in the industry that they so loved… There is a huge issue. As I imagine that they would be hesitant no matter what industry they would enter into, thinking that eventually it’s going to end up the same. It sounds like the founders of moon studio, have been doing this for so long they truly think in their minds there’s nothing wrong with anything they did… To the point of probably looking at the complaints as disgruntled employees instead of taking an introspective look at themselves and around the workplace to see what needs to be addressed and fixed.

With everything that’s happened in the past five years in the entertainment industry, with these people in power being taken down for everything they’ve done and had been doing up until that point… You would think that the rest of the industry would wake up and realize that social media gives people a huge voice in order to essentially right the wrongs that have been done to them and point fingers at the people responsible. Yet, it seemingly just makes those same people look for different ways or loopholes in order to keep doing that business as usual. Instead of actually doing things right.

The good thing is, that it is giving other people in not only the entertainment industry, but all industries… The bravery to come out and report their own experiences and because of that, it’s hopefully going to change all industries for the good in the near future.

WTF? This has me gutted. Beautiful game, but these comments are disgusting.

How many studio's been called out by the devopler's saying their studio is a toxic place to work at

You never apologize to the mob. You give them an inch and they will take your head.

I don’t know what to say here I need more details to be honest. No I’m a black man I work in the automotive industry I’ve heard racial slurs directed at me not at work but in other capacities seen women sexually harassed in the workplace and having to report that to HR. So when you say there’s a hostile work environment I think that does come with levels of hostility there’s what you see your Activision where people are living in the frat boy culture where women are being sexually harassed and mistreated to me that’s a very high-level and then when I hear this today I don’t care about sexual-harassment I don’t hear about people not being promoted or ideas being shoved to the side I hear about foul language. What I didn’t hear were details what do you mean when you say foul of language be specific with me because like I said I work in an environment where people use foul language curse words someone may say MF please. You should’ve heard the conversation we had the other day about Kim Kardashian and Kanye West foul language but it was a light spirited conversation about how crazy they were it wasn’t file language being directed at one employee or the other. Now I have to be a little craps dark here and even admit we discussed Jesse Smallett in the workplace some in the conversation discussed his sexuality and made jokes about him going to jail Falmouth conversation we discussed how it was bad that he committed a crime and we talked about them in a negative light the conversation didn’t go off the rails when people started talking about prison talk and sexuality I need details on what you mean by foul language though. I need these details because we are in an environment where there is indeed an issue with workplace organization workplace culture but we also live in an environment where we are hyper critical of anything and everything someone does so I need an example when someone says there is foul language being used in the workplace. Give me an example of the language being used not just one example but several examples. Tell me what happened when you brought this issue up to the people in charge. I don’t want some headline to tell me they were foul language in the workplace but then I found out nobody said anything to anyone that no person who felt hurt by this far language said anything to anyone because if there’s a problem with your workplace culture or organization I think you do have to let those in charge know what’s going on and give them an opportunity to fix it. So like I said I need details not because I’m a Gasper but because I’m a historian I want to know who said what when and what was the response. All of that matters because like I said I’ve been in the workplace obscene foul language used curse words mind you have used curse words in the workplace just yesterday I did. I didn’t directly met anyone in a harmful manner but they were some cursing going on just to talk about a general subject while we worked. So until they can give me these details until the studio has a chance to respond to the article I need to know more not just that sensationalize headline about this being a bad studio because that’s what it looks like to me sensationalism with few details.

Can we get a third Ori game Moon studios? We're all waiting...

Lol imagine if these people ever tried working at a mill!! They would wouldn't last a day!