Ashley Poprik owns Never been a model for a video game character. As a project writer like this Spider-Man 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops 6they work exist The game is not the character. However, in 2023, a group of angry gamers were convinced. How do they Spider-Man 2Mary Jane looked at it; more specifically, they complained that she was just Not hot enough.
The problem these gamers falsely claim is that Poprik is a writing intern who has no ability to change the face of a character, let alone someone based on real-life models that are inserted into the game. Players place the plot side by side with Mary Jane based on the writer’s photos. In the photo, both Poprik and MJ are wearing long middle-parted hair, smiling, and have similar face shapes.
Poprik, known as a gender fluid, describes himself as having hermaphrodite characteristics. They said: “A big narrative introduces me as a trans woman, so I feel hatred from any right-wing winger.”
“I got a lot of death threats, pictures of decapitated women and YouTube videos about me, which were just direct makeup information,” Poprik said. “It changed my feelings about video games forever.”
Eventually, things got so bad that out of fear of security, Poprik had to wipe personal information from the Internet.
Poprik is facing months of online harassment, and face-to-face accusations of making things “wake up” – especially because they don’t have the features in the game they are involved in. But in each case, Poprik said they didn’t get any support or security resources from which the company they work for.
“When marginalized developers are harassed, they are one person,” Poprik said.
Today, everything Apart from Cisgender game developers in the United States, it is more dangerous than ever. Online, trans and gender-independent developers become whimsical targets of reactionary grifters against any social progress or the result of any social progress or diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Offline President Donald Trump attempts to deny its existence with an executive order aimed at “restoring the restoration of biological truths to the federal government”,” Limit life-saving health care For minors and evacuate transgender people From the Army.
other Executive OrderHowever, it poses a more obvious threat. Trump’s move to cancel government funding plans to discriminate combat practices already exist Imitated by a technology company like YuanGoogle and Amazon. Developers are worried that their employers will follow suit. Given that most of the content called “GamerGate 2.0” is focused on Gamers object These troubles do not seem to be unfounded.
Wired talks to seven developers across the industry in the workplace, from AAA studios to small independent companies. Many people simply talk to us on anonymous condition because they are worried about their safety or because they are not allowed to talk on behalf of the company’s media. (Wireline independent confirms all their identities and employment.) What emerges is a consistent narrative of fear, stress and alienation that brings them into the workplace and thrives in the online culture surrounding video games.