Another insider from Avowed developer Obsidian has come forward to YouTube content creator SmashJT, this time sharing leaked messages from the Obsidian Slack internal messaging server.
READ: Obsidian Whistlebower Tells All on ‘Avowed’ Art Director Matt Hansen Amid Racist Hiring Allegations
The messages show the Obsidian staff celebrating their game coming under fire from X-owner and world’s richest man Elon Musk while railing against anyone who opposes the idea of pronoun selection in video games.
And, of course, this behavior was egged on by Avowed art director Matt Hansen, who made waves recently by accidentally exposing that he engages in potentially illegal hiring practices within the Microsoft-owned studio.
A message from the Obsidian Slack celebrating the fact that Elon Musk was angry at the game’s development team – YouTube, SmashJT
“We’ve done it,” an employee named Schwa Alvarez said, while sharing a screenshot of Musk’s rebuke of fantasy games that include pronoun selection.
He then said that management should let him know if this is too political and voiced a willingness to delete the message if not allowed. At most companies, sharing something so deeply divisive and political would indeed be frowned upon.
But this is Obsidian, and it’s overseen by Matt Hansen, a veteran art director with a long reported history of fostering a toxic work environment ruled by ideology above all.
That’s obvious by how comfortable the members of Hansen’s team were voicing their glee at this development.
Messages from Obsidian employees on their Slack channel attacking Grummz and Elon Musk – YouTube, SmashJT
“I’ve never been more proud,” said Daniel Chamberlin, who indicated that he uses he/him pronouns.
Another Obsidian employee, Jay Turner, brought the conversation to former World of Warcraft lead Mark Kern, AKA Grummz.
“Hey everyone,” he said. “Pack it up, we lost Grummz.” Eight people within the organization laugh reacted this comment.
“LOL this was literally my suggestion bug to add pronouns to the menu,” Manolo Rosenberg, who apparently prefers he/him/his pronouns said, before adding, “I do this.”
A leaked Slack message from Obsidian that shows an employee sharing a meme about “triggering conservative snowflakes” and referring to it as “hot” – YouTube, SmashJT
Olivia Burkhart, who apparently prefers she/her pronouns, sounded off with a meme that claimed triggering “conservative snow flakes” was “so hot right now.”
Right about now is typically when a manager at a company owned by one of the biggest tech organizations on the planet would step in, stop the political parade, and tell the team to make better use of the time in which they’re being paid to provide a service.
But, because this is Matt Hansen, none of that happens.
Instead, he joins in.
A leaked image from the Obsidian Slack showing Avowed art director Matt Hansen joining his employees in unprofessional and inappropriate political conversations – YouTube, SmashJT
READ: God of War Director David Jaffe Claims Sexist Rant Against Vara Dark Wasn’t Sexist
“This rules,” Hansen said, while apparently wanting everyone to know that he uses he/him pronouns. “I am fully giddy over it. GG (presumably ‘good going’), everybody!”
Avowed Art Director for Obsidian, Matt Hansen – YouTube, SmashJT
Another employee, Bre Seale, a she/they pronoun user, responded with inappropriate profanity in the workplace chat.
She/they said, “Stupid will be stupid, but I’ll never get over how insane of a hill pronouns are to die on. Like, if you have to pretend it’s not a f****** backbone of language/grammar and then argue what, you shouldn’t be able to choose what people f****** call you in a role playing game?”
Hansen responded, “He is not a bright man.”
Right around this time, Hansen would take to his Blue Sky (of course…) account to celebrate this publicly while maligning Musk with more profanity.
Art Director for @Obsidian on Avowed @AvowedtheGame wants to piss gamers off on purpose, CONFIRMS game is woke:
Speaking of Elon, he says:
“Just wait until you see the default, you said little shit.” (sic, typo for “sad”).
He’s over on bluesky plugging the game to basically… pic.twitter.com/tre0KxAjdk
— Grummz (@Grummz) November 26, 2024
READ: Is GTA 6 Woke? DEI Employee Certifications Highlight the Quiet Shift Threatening Rockstar
“I wanted so badly to make him mad with my game, and I cannot believe it actually happened,” Hansen said publicly. “Just wait until you see the default you said [sic] little s***.”
He followed this up saying, ““It’s honestly deeply surreal to have the world’s richest, s******** boy whine about something I am making. I am quite frankly giddy. I cannot think of a single person in the world I would rather irritate.”
Hansen used the word “giddy” to describe his reaction both publicly on Blue Sky and in the leaked Slack messages.
Matt Hansen, the arti director for Obsidian Entertainment and Avowed – YouTube, SmashJT
In the Slack leak, things then go even further when an employee named John Winocur recommends creating a character in the game based on Musk that they could then murder.
“Not too late to add a rat creature to the game and name it ‘Elongated Muskrat’ that indistinctly mumbles something about pronouns and drops shoddy blood-soaked emeralds when you stab it,” he said.
Elon Musk via AutismCapital on X
“The messages reveal an environment where ideological hostility takes a precedence over any sort of professional behavior,” SmashJT said in his official write up on this scoop. “Employees are competing in taking increasingly hostile jabs at Musk, where one was even suggesting mocking him through in-game content and killing him.”
Regarding Matt Hansen potentially being fired, another industry insider has just reached out to me & stated the following behind-the-scenes info at Obsidian:
“No, he won’t. He has support from above”
While this is always subject to change, it’s the current sentiment at Obsidian
— Smash JT (@SmashJT) November 30, 2024
Despite all of this, Hansen’s job is reportedly safe. SmashJT reported that, according to his sources, Hansen is protected by higher ups at both Obsidian and Microsoft.
What do you think about these leaked Obsidian Slack messages? Do you think Matt Hansen will ultimately remain with Obsidian and Microsoft? Sound off in the comment section (yes, it’s back!) below and let us know your thoughts!
