While Deathloop is being touted as an incredible game that many fans are enjoying, there is also some backlash from the community, stemming from some jittering problems that PC players have noticed. Deathloop was even being review bombed on Steam over the issues, which were originally blamed on the game's anti-tamper software built into it. However, it's since been noted that it's not Denuvo that's the cause. On top of that, an influential figure for the disabled gaming community has called the studio out on the game's lack of important and inclusive features.
In a recent post on Twitter, the senior director of AbleGamers, Stephen Spohn, has issued a major criticism aimed at the developer of Deathloop, Arkane Studios. In the tweet, Spohn made mention of the fact that, because the game is lacking in accessibility for disabled players, he quickly discovered that he couldn't play it. He also said that he wanted to warn other gamers, and while some have replied to say that the studio would likely add patches to include accessibility features, Spohn added in an additional tweet that he was simply going to "move on" and not "beg" for more inclusive updates.
The reason behind the tweet could be linked to Deathloop's stuttering issues being down to mouse input, as well as framerate. Some have conducted tests which result in less stuttering when players use a controller instead of a mouse. However, Spohn was quick to mention that mouse sensitivity in the game is capped at 1. He also said that the game isn't compatible with on-screen keyboards, nor does it recognize voice recognition input. He went on to say that there are plenty of games that do take disabilities into consideration and that he was more than happy to hand his money over to those companies.
AbleGamers was founded in 2004 and is a nonprofit organization that specializes in accessibility for video games. Their work allows them to help implement features, such as peripherals, that give disabled gamers the opportunity to play. The charity also works with game companies and publishers to help push accessibility forward in the industry. Last year, Twitch donated $1 million to AbleGamers.
At the time of this article going live, Arkane Studios has not made a statement about Spohn's concerns over Deathloop's lack of accessibility. While a spokesperson did promise the team would "investigate" the PC stuttering issues, it would be in the studio and publisher's best interests to address the issues that have been raised by the AbleGamers director.
Deathloop is currently available on PC and PlayStation 5.
