Star Wars fans are boycotting Star Wars Eclipse, Quantic Dream’s new take on the franchise, due to the studio allegedly fostering a sexist, homophobic, and racist work environment.
Announced during the Game Awards, Star Wars Eclipse is in development at Quantic Dream, best known for titles including Detroit: Become Human, Beyond: Two Souls, and Heavy Rain. Fans aren’t happy about this. In 2018, several outlets reported that the studio was rife with bigoted language and inappropriate attitudes toward female employees, specifically by founder and CEO David Cage and co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumière.
An official statement from the studio came out right after the initial allegations and reports came to light.
“We categorically deny all of these allegations,” Quantic Dream said on Twitter. “Quantic Dream filed a complaint several months ago, and further complaints will follow.”
Myself and others were a bit… unsettled by the announcement of who was developing the latest Star Wars game😅
Shout outs to @maximilian_ @SuperButterBuns and especially @WoolieWoolz for driving the point home👍🏼 pic.twitter.com/bzt36H5UUM— 👾Digital Gator🐊 (@Digi_Gator) December 14, 2021
IGN notes that while Cage and Fondaumière went on to win a libel case against French outlet Le Monde for reporting on these stories, Mediapart, however, was cleared of all charges.
Regardless of the rulings, many Star Wars fans do not want Quantic Dream working on the franchise. On Twitter, #BlackoutStarWarsEclipse began trending Friday as many fans, particularly LGBTQ+ members of the community, started a campaign urging others to boycott Star Wars Eclipse. You’ll find several of the most notable mentions below.