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Lords of the Fallen developer CI Games asserts it will not incorporate “any social or political agendas” into its games, arguing that such an approach carries a “significant risk” of financial failure.
This assertion was made during a recent investors discussion (via Strefa Inwestorów), where CI Games responded to inquiries regarding its “position on DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] in gaming.” In reply, global marketing director Ryan Hill stated that the studio emphasizes “superior user experience with engaging themes and characters crafted specifically for core and adjacent audiences,” then transitioned into what I would characterize as a rather poorly informed perspective on the current gaming industry landscape.
“While some video games have recently seized the opportunity to infuse social or political agendas into their gaming experiences, it’s evident that many players do not favor this, resulting in a number of high-profile launches underperforming financially just over the past year,” Hill stated. “Our games will consistently be crafted to optimize player satisfaction and commercial triumph; thus, we will refrain from integrating any social or political agendas into these experiences moving forward, having noted the considerable risk this may bring.”
Unfortunately, Hill did not clarify how he or CI Games delineates DEI, which has become a catchphrase among certain segments of the gaming community for “issues I oppose.” He also failed to provide examples of titles that suffered commercially because of their “social or political agendas.” Games like Concord and Dustborn are often highlighted as examples, but the reality is they are simply two among thousands of games—19,000 new titles on Steam alone in 2024—that have struggled to attract an audience in the past year. In the particular case of Concord, it arguably just wasn’t a remarkable game—we assigned it a 45% in our review, not because we thought the cast wasn’t diverse enough.
Regrettably, he seems to have reinforced the ugly and untrue claim that DEI is destroying gaming by—well, that remains somewhat ambiguous. Nevertheless, that almost becomes irrelevant: As a hot-button term among upset, reactionary gamers, the DEI specter does not require a definition; it merely needs to evoke primal emotions while generating views.
Hill’s remarks sharply contrast with those made by another Polish studio, the developer of Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt: On its diversity and inclusion webpage, which indeed outlines the studio’s perspective on DEI in thorough detail, CEO Adam Kiciński states, “a variety of perspectives fuels creativity and enhances innovation.”
CI Games chose not to comment on Hill’s declaration.
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