Troy Leavitt says Warner Bros. knows of his history and doesn't see it as a problem.
Hogwarts Legacy lead designer Troy Leavitt used to run a YouTube channel focused on anti-social justice and anti-feminist content, and says Warner Bros. has no issue with his content.
Leavitt’s past was detailed by Liam Robertson (via Kotaku), who took to Twitter detailing the YouTube channel and its uploads. Among them are a video defending John Lasseter, the Pixar co-founder who left the company back in 2017 after allegations of sexual misconduct, alongside a criticism of feminist Anita Sarkeesian, a video declaring Gamergate “a good thing,” another asking if “thoughtcrimes [are] becoming real” and one “in praise of cultural appropriation.”
The YouTube channel started in September 2016 before its final upload in May 2018. It currently has over 24,000 subscribers and 2,000,000 views.
In a video defending Atari’s Nolan Bushnell — a developer who has been accused of creating a toxic work environment for females — Leavitt confirmed he was working with Avalanche Studios on an upcoming project and that owner Warner Bros. “didn’t have an issue” with this views.
“Some of you have expressed that, due to my commentary on some game industry controversies and my sympathies for the Gamergate movement, that I might have a difficult time should I ever want to return to professional game development,” Leavitt said as part of the recording.
“I’m happy to say that, even though I disclosed my YouTube channel to WB Games, it didn’t appear to be an issue for them. Not that they endorse anything that I’ve said, of course, but at least they seem more concerned with making good games than with pushing some kind of a social justice agenda, so there is hope.”
The upcoming Harry Potter RPG found itself under criticism last year when author JK Rowling took to social media with transphobic opinions. As a result, Warner Bros. asserted that Rowling wasn’t directly tied to the upcoming game.
Hogwarts Legacy is expected in 2022 on Windows PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series S & X, PS4 and PS5.
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Hogwarts Legacy10 February 2023PC PS5 Xbox Series S & X
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