24 July 2021
Mike Morhaime, who co-founded and worked at video game studio Blizzard for 28 years, has apologized publicly for toxic work conditions at his former studio, which is now the subject of a discrimination and harassment lawsuit by the state of California.
Why it matters: Morhaime is no longer at Blizzard, but was its leader for most of its existence and therefore was in charge when much of what is alleged in California’s suit would have occurred.
- “It is the responsibility of leadership to stamp out toxicity and harassment in any form, across all levels of the company,” he wrote on Twitter.
- “To the Blizzard women who experienced any of these things, I am extremely sorry that I failed you.”
- “Real people have been harmed, and some women had terrible experiences.”
What they’re saying: Morhaime’s statement has been met with some gratitude that he said anything but also with criticism that so much happened on his watch.
- Critics, including former Blizzard employees, said they found it implausible that Morhaime wouldn’t have been aware of the depth of the studio’s problems.
The big picture: Current management at Blizzard and sister company, Activision, have sent mixed signals in recent days.
- Messages sent to employees have alternated between calling the allegations in the lawsuit “deeply disturbing” to slamming the department that brought them for bringing a “meritless lawsuit.”
- Some Blizzard employees have publicly criticized the company’s harsher statements, saying they believe the allegations, according to a PC Gamer report.
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.