Rare has hit those who have been promoting their game, which is why multiple streamers quit their partner program.

Kotaku reports that a couple of Sea of Thieves streamers called some of the game’s developers „monsters” because they ignored the harassment they got by other Sea of Thieves streamers for months. As a response, Rare kicked them out from their Partner Programme.

In July, the couple behind Rocco a puppet on Twitch who streams Sea of Thieves posted a TwitLonger statement where they detailed half of a year of misogynistic and ableist harassment they got via another Sea of Thieves streamer and his community, and Rare not responding to the situation didn’t help matters either. They banned a few accounts, which promoted a few other Sea of Thieves streamers to lash out at the couple behind Rocco, and it led to even more harassment, as well as doxxing, plus several threatening phone calls were made to the couple, plus their employer.

Kotaku wrote that the couple informed the police, plus they sent messages to Joe Neate (executive producer) and Jon McFarlane (head of video and creator engagement), calling them monsters for letting the situation get this bad. They said that Rare removed them from the Sea of Thieves Partner Programme (which gives „established streamers who embody the spirit of Sea of Thieves” perks, such as in-game currency, merchandise, and collaboration opportunities).

After Rocco’s creators have been given the boot, other members of this programme left in protest to support Rocco’s creators (Jason Sulli, Carrillo, and Gullible Gambit). Rare’s response is just PR fluff: „We have already implemented changes within the Partner Programme to ensure that our creator community remains a positive and welcoming space, and we will work closely with our partners to ensure it remains so.”

Kotaku added that current, as well as former Rare developers, „have been dissuaded from speaking out in fear of facing repercussions from Rare for taking a stance on the issue. The few who have commented have either been told they are at risk of losing their jobs or have been frozen out by existing members of the studio, with whom they had previously been on good terms.”

Source: Gamesindustry

Please support our page theGeek.games on Patreon, so we can continue to write you the latest gaming, movie and tech news and reviews as an independent magazine.
Become a Patron!