God of War Ragnarok is perhaps the most highly anticipated release of 2022. Leaks, rumors, and speculation surrounding the project are all hungrily awaited by the PlayStation fanbase. Unfortunately, as this past week has shown, that fervor breeds a fringe of toxicity across social media. God of War Ragnarok developer Santa Monica Studio has even gone so far as to issue a statement requesting the community treat each other with respect.
The statement from Santa Monica Studio, shared on Twitter, begins by warmly defending the employees at the studio. It says that "every single person at Santa Monica Studio is working to create a game that we're proud of," which shows both solidarity among developers and dismissiveness toward those trying to hurt individuals within the studio. This portion of the message is especially important, given past gaming industry harassment has often left targets feeling like their employer has abandoned them when they need support most.
"Our fans inspire us, and we understand the passion and desire for more information. But that passion should not be toxic nor come at the expense of any human being's dignity," reads the second portion of the statement. Here Santa Monica Studio is clarifying a key point in the discussion. Santa Monica Studio wants to make clear that it's not talking about everyone that's discussing rumors and leaks surrounding God of War Ragnarok. It's only calling attention to the toxic elements of the conversation, and specifically those choosing to harass or denigrate others.
The last portion of Stana Monica Studio's statement is a call for a shift to positivity, saying, "Let's celebrate our community by treating each other, every gamer and developer alike, with respect." This isn't just a statement, of course. God of War Ragnarok producer Cory Barlog has spent the past week sending out positive messages and undercutting negativity. Even Xbox boss Phil Spencer is embracing the idea of celebrating God of War Ragnarok's development with a Twitter post saying he's excited for the new game.
It's just a short statement, but this Santa Monica Studio message on Twitter is a by-the-books example of an appropriate response to negativity. It shows solidarity with the victims of harassment, calls out and rejects the negativity while being specific, and ultimately turns the situation into a rallying cry for positivity. Everyone should understand that harassment of God of War Ragnarok developers is unacceptable.
God of War Ragnarok remains in development. Eventually, it will arrive, and it's likely to deliver even on PlayStation fans' lofty expectations. Until that happens, all anyone can hope is that fans remain positive, patient, and respectful. God of War Ragnarok will launch when it's ready and hurting someone by harassing them won't solve anything.
God of War Ragnarok releases in 2022 for PS4 and PS5.
