NEW: @shannon_liao and I reached out to over 20 major video game companies about whether they intend to speak up in favor of reproductive rights or provide monetary aid to employees. just a few said yes. most said nothing at all washingtonpost.com/video-gam…

bungie led the charge on speaking up about roe v. wade in the video game industry, and employees told me they are proud. bungie is also "investigating" ways to directly aid employees in affected areas, according to an internal email washingtonpost.com/video-gam…

but that's a "longer term" plan. in the meantime, some are frustrated with the lag between bungie's big words and tangible change: "execs are usually quick to speak out against things ... but any systemic company changes take a really, really long time" washingtonpost.com/video-gam…

other major companies, like activision blizzard, have dragged their feet internally and externally, leaving employees dissatisfied. “right now, within activision, there are many employees distracted and scared for the future,” said @EmilyKnief washingtonpost.com/video-gam…

some studios have allowed employees to participate in things like the mother's day strike, which runs until may 15. but those are few and far-between, and some devs, even at major companies like activision blizzard, can't afford to join washingtonpost.com/video-gam…

companies' silence is disappointing but not inexplicable. the industry has a long history of disregarding or deriding women's issues (see: gamergate and similar mobs, scandals at activision, ubisoft, etc). these things are, unfortunately, all connected washingtonpost.com/video-gam…

people are suddenly losing their minds over this piece (lol), so let me spell out the rationale behind it: 1. game companies were extremely vocal following george floyd’s murder, covid-born anti-asian hate, etc. silence here is telling; it suggests broader disingenuousness

2. this is an instance in which companies can provide monetary support to employees impacted. major tech companies have already committed to doing so. that makes their responses here directly and tangibly relevant to workers’ lives

3. this is all explicitly spelled out in the article, which none of these people read before clutching their pearls and doing their best impression of the woman yelling at cat meme lmao