The Call of Duty: Vanguard studio head has issued a statement on the recent events around the Activision Blizzard lawsuit.
Aaron Halen, studio head at Sledgehammer Games, took the time at the start of a recent press event GamesRadar attended to address the ongoing circumstances at the Call of Duty publisher.
Halen's statement in full reads: "Before we begin, I would like to address some recent events. The stories in the pain that people have shared are simply devastating. You know, we love making games. It's what we do. It's our life's work, and we'd love it. But more importantly than that, we're all humans, we're here for each other, working side by side, and looking out for one another in good times and in bad times."
So on behalf of Sledgehammer Games, and all of the teams supporting Call of Duty: Vanguard, harassment of any kind goes against everything we stand for as a studio. Everyone, regardless of title, role, gender, orientation, ethnicity, are [sic] to be treated always with dignity, respect, and equality."
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While we cannot comment on the lawsuit, what I can say is that as a team, we are committed to making sure all team members feel safe, welcome, and respected. So please know as we start our presentation, that these thoughts and actions are at the top of our minds, and will be going forward. They speak to the core values of who we are, and who we wish to be. On behalf of everyone on the team, thank you."
Halen's statement comes in the wake of the ongoing fallout of the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing's lawsuit that alleges a "frat boy" culture at Activision Blizzard that saw female employees being discriminated against.
