Wyrmwood, maker of tabletop gaming equipment that experience lengthy been liked via the likes of Dungeons & Dragons avid gamers, is beneath hearth for his or her reaction to a flurry of sexual assaunt allegations that got here to gentle this week.
After a tweet gained momentum which accused the corporate of shielding an worker who was once accussed of sexual attack, one of the crucial terminated staff answered with robust phrases towards the corporate.
I am a former worker of @WyrmwoodGaming
and wish to put my tale on document. I am who the tweet was once speaking about. Take into account firing me, Doug?(I am glancing away throughout the video as it wrote this all out for readability and brevity.)#WyrmsArentFriends pic.twitter.com/FiVDKyg6iM
— Andy Morocco (@Andy_Morocco) February 19, 2023
Within the video, former worker Andy Morocco, alleges that he was once fired in retaliation for reporting the sexual attack of a coworker that happened on corporate premises.
“I used to be taken at the back of the store via the CEO Douglas Costello. I thought he sought after additional info without delay from the supply, however as an alternative he fired me in retaliation for, in his phrases, ‘developing store drama,'” Morocco claims within the video.
He later added “Wyrmwood isn’t your pal and they don’t care about folks.”
In line with the allegations, Wyrmwood released a four-page document laying out the occasions in their very own phrases, wherein they claimed that the accussed intercourse culprit was once additionally fired and that they did not know the alleged attack had taken position at their place of job — the latter declare which they have got since retracted. Later that day, Wyrmwood launched a YouTube video that has since been made private, through which Wyrmwood control and HR representatives gave their aspect of the tale additional within the presence in their legal professional, wherein they repeated their claims, together with that the false declare that they hadn’t been made conscious about the place the incident occured.
Organizations start reducing ties with Wyrmwood
In a while after Wyrmwood’s reaction, enthusiasts and companions alike started reducing ties with the corporate, together with Take This, a non-profit that has partnered with Wyrmwood for years.
In their statement, Take This cited what it thought to be to be Wyrmwood’s insufficient reaction as without equal reason why for finishing the partnership, writing, “The intense allegations involving egregious worker conduct and the termination of the individual reporting the conduct at Wyrmwood Gaming violate the beliefs and project of our group. Wyrmwood has since launched a written commentary and accompanying video which might be troubling and fall outdoor the moral requirements of Take This.”
In the meantime, former supporters of Wyrmwood chimed in on social media to voice their unhappiness in the way in which Wyrmwood answered to the allegations, a lot of who mentioned they might not be purchasing Wyrmwood merchandise.
I learn the written commentary remaining night time and felt like one of the most comments appeared harsh and now I’m seconds into this video and entirely horrified via Wyrmwood’s habits.
— Lysa Penrose (fae/faer) (@lysapenrose) February 22, 2023
Tomorrow, Wyrmwood made their video reaction non-public and issued a new statement apologizing for his or her preliminary reaction, writing, “We’re knocking down the video we posted. We reacted viscerally out of anger and disbelief on the false allegations that had been spreading on-line, and we did what we at all times do — submit a video addressing it to shield ourselves. Then again, a lot of our companions and consumers have contacted us and feature defined that the video was once tone deaf and damaging. We believe them and ask for forgiveness.”
For a few years, Wyrmwood has been a relied on high-end choice for tabletop players, who’ve made their initiatives one of the most biggest Kickstarter successes of all time. Time will inform if companions and consumers will settle for the apology, however as of now the entire controversy turns out to have had little impact on their Kickstarter, which has raised over $1.7 million for their gaming table.
Travis Northup is a author for IGN. You’ll practice him on Twitter @TieGuyTravis and browse his games coverage here.
