CD Projekt Red Senior Lead Weapon Artist Michal Kalisz apologized for claiming that the criticisms Ubisoft and its development team are receiving for Assassin’s Creed Shadows are valid.
A screenshot from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), CD Projekt Red
Initially, Kalisz took to X and wrote, “The concerns and criticism around Assassin’s Creed Shadow[s] are valid and I personally think it might disrespects Japanese culture with the provided historical inaccuracy. People, especially Japanese people, have full right to oppose trends like this.”
Michael Kalisz on X
Kalisz apologized for these comments on May 19th. He wrote, “I’ve noticed criticism regarding my recent comment about AC Shadows. After reflecting on it and reading your responses/retweets, I realize I owe you an apology.”
He continued, “First of all, I acknowledge that I am not qualified to share statements or discuss such topics. Your feedback has highlighted the importance of being more informed and respectful in my opinions. It has also shown me that we should be more open to new ideas and not restrict ourselves too much while creating new worlds. We all draw inspiration from a wide range of media, and that’s great. I appreciate your patience and understanding. I’ve learned something valuable and will strive to do better in the future.”
Kalisz concluded, “I’m looking forward to the next AC; the setting intrigues me a lot.”
Michael Kalisz on X
Despite claiming he read criticism of his original post, it does not appear he’s allowing as much criticism on his apology post given he locked down his account. This action calls into question the sincerity of his apology given it happened so quickly and reads like a corporate PR statement.
Michal Kalisz on X
Mark Kern aka Grummz speculated that Kalisz was bullied into posting the apology. He wrote on X, “Senior Lead 3D weapons artist at CD Projekt Red get bullied into changing his stance on Assassin’s Creed.
Grummz added, “The dev pressure out there to conform is immense, and if you don’t play ball, you will get pushed out. Nobody in AAA gaming is free to speak. I have so many friends and contact who tell me they will lose their jobs if they say anything.”
Senior Lead 3D weapons artist at @CDPROJEKTRED get bullied into changing his stance on Assassin’s Creed.
The dev pressure out there to conform is immense, and if you don’t play ball, you will get pushed out.
Nobody in AAA gaming is free to speak. I have so many friends and… pic.twitter.com/9sTNAkWX7C
— Grummz (@Grummz) May 19, 2024
In fact, Grummz previously reported that at Activision the company’s reviews and bonuses are determined by “how hard you DEI.”
He posted on X back on May 16th, “Your bonus and review depend on how hard you DEI. DEI Officers are installed on every dev team to ensure THE MESSAGE.”
Activision DEI Leaked! Plus:
– Your bonus and review depend on how hard you DEI.
– DEI Officers are installed on every dev team to ensure THE MESSAGE.
Of all the AAA Studios out there, my dev friends and contacts who have come forth tell me that @Ubisoft and @Activision are… pic.twitter.com/TDZqRn6v0o
— Grummz (@Grummz) May 16, 2024
This appears to be corroborated by Activision’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report. The report details that the company tracks representation and inclusion data on all of its employees. It states that it “started measuring every employee’s sense of belonging through an Inclusion Score, a quantitative measure of the extent to which employees feel welcomed, valued, and included within the organization.”
Screenshot from Activision’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
Another slide from the report delves into how the company is tracking its employees via Inclusion. It states that the company “launched individual employee diversity, equity, and inclusion goal setting to foster accountability to building community, trust, belonging, and collaboration.”
It also appears that individuals who have high Inclusion Scores or meet these inclusion goals they are rewarded through “a sponsorship program” that allows them to “connect with senior advocates, gain exposure to leadership projects, and ultimately increase diversity at the leadership level.”
Screenshot from Activision’s 2023-2024 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report
It’s likely there are certain metrics taking place at CD Projekt Red as well. CD Projekt Red CFO and board member Piotr Nielubowicz detailed how committed the company was to ESG. He stated, “Although this is perhaps not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about video games and ESG, we believe that our primary means of influencing the world at large is by developing games which can enrich gamers’ perceptions. This is why we do not shy away from confronting socially important topics in the stories we tell.”
He continued, “Our games depict social inequalities, the various paths people take through life, and the problems they face. We want to make sure that the characters populating the worlds we create represent a diverse set of mindsets, social groups, and backgrounds.”
Nielubowicz also confirmed the company has “a range of internal training courses” employees participate in to be trained in ESG thinking.
What do you make of Kalisz’s apology?
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And this is exactly why a AAA gaming crash is not only desired, but a necessity at this point. I’ll keep doing my part and not paying for any games that push DEI / ESG / Wokeness and that will be across the board at the A, AA, and AAA levels.