Blizzard Technical Artist Reportedly Facing No Repercussions After Posting "Kill Your Local MAGA" On Facebook
Kyle Hickey, a Blizzard Technical Artist, is reportedly not facing any repercussions within the company after posting “Killing your local MAGA” on Facebook.
On January 21st, Hickey posted to Facebook, “Kill your local MAGA.”
Now, a report from former World of Warcraft Team Lead Mark Kern aka Grummz claims that Hickey is not facing any repercussions for the post.
Grummz wrote on X, “Nothing is being done. I have confirmed with insider sources that nothing has happened to the Blizzard artist who called for offing local MAGA.”
“Outrageous,” he declared. “Imagine if he had said this about the Left. Completely one sided HR policies which have ‘zero tolerance’ for this type of language...unless they agree with it.”
“Death threats are wrong folks, and I'm tired of people saying they are ‘just jokes,’" he concluded.
This report is not at all surprising given that Grummz leaked a statement from Activision Blizzard CEO Rob Kostich indicating he would be defying President Donald Trump’s Executive Orders regarding DEI policies.
In the leaked statement, Kostich wrote, “Given the headlines around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the workplace, it’s no surprise that questions have come up about what the future looks like at Activision and whether our focus and priorities around DEI shift.”
“To be clear, this work continues to be extremely important in everything that we do,” he continued. “It’s important to our games, our culture, and who we are as a company.”
“Our Inclusive Growth team has made great strides in helping us weave inclusivity in all aspects of business. Our strategy here remains focused on enhancing the experiences of all employees, providing exceptional experiences to players globally and providing accessible opportunities to those interacting with our company and brand,” he concluded. “I look forward to all the great work we’ll continue to do together.”
Furthermore, in Activision Blizzard’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Report, Kostich stated, “At Activision, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DE&I) is a critical component of our future success. Our journey toward fostering DE&I began years ago, fueled by the passion and stories shared by our employees. To fulfill our vision of becoming the most inclusive blockbuster games company, we have embedded DE&I in every aspect of our operations.”
“We strive to create an environment where our talented employees can thrive and do the best work of their lives, and by integrating DE&I into our game development process, we can evolve our games to better resonate with a broader audience and to better foster community around the world. Every initiative we undertake is driven by the belief that we are building a better future – for our people and our players,” he continued.
“Embracing diverse perspectives is not only the right thing to do, but it also enables us to make informed decisions that shape the future of gaming and entertainment. It is an exciting time to now be a part of Xbox, who shares our perspective and commitment. While we acknowledge that there is still work to be done, we always embrace the challenge of continuous improvement. ‘Champion DE&I’ became one of our core values because of the unwavering passion and dedication of our exceptional employees, and it will remain a core focus of ours to help fuel our future growth,” he concluded.
The report also reveals the company was pecifically creating transgender propaganda through its various so-called games.
One slide states, “It is important that our games authentically showcase different cultures, identities, and lived experiences. One example we’re excited about is Catbat, Activision’s first non-binary character. Catbat made their debut in the multiplayer game, Crash Team Rumble. An escaped prisoner of antagonist Dr. Neo Cortex, and as a lover of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Catbat is also the series’ first character voiced by a gender-fluid actor who uses all pronouns.”
What do you make of this report that Hickey will face no repercussions from Blizzard management?
Why would they fire somebody if they agree with him?
It's not surprising that calling for the death of friends and neighbors gets ignored by the rainbow brigade. I hope Blizzard can survive on nothing, because the 10 people on twitter that are activists won't buy their products.