John Gibson, the CEO of Tripwire Interactive, has stepped down following a tweet supporting Texas’ recently enacted anti-abortion law.
Tripwire, the maker of games like Killing Floor and Maneater, announced Gibson’s departure from the position with a statement on Twitter last night. He’ll be replaced by former VP and co-founding studio member Alan Wilson.
In addition to the change, Tripwire has pledged to “address [employee] concerns” through company-wide meetings and dialogues with developers. In the statement, the company clarified that “the comments given by John Gibson are of his own opinion, and do not reflect those of Tripwire Interactive as a company.”
Over the weekend, Gibson tweeted his support for the recent Texas law that bans abortion after six weeks across the state and awards citizens who successfully sue those who assist with procedures at least $10,000. Texas is a game industry hub and many in the industry have made it clear that they don’t support the law. Fans and fellow developers also took issue with Gibson’s statement that he “doesn’t get political often,” responding that it’s impossible for games, like all media, to be entirely apolitical.
Fans’ responses were swift, with many saying in the comments of Gibson’s original tweet that they’d no longer be buying, playing, or supporting games made by Tripwire. Tripwire also lost business partners because of Gibson’s tweet. Co-development studio Shipwright Studios released a statement saying it’d no longer work with Tripwire because of Gibson’s politics.
Gibson has yet to respond individually to the backlash.
Published: Sep 7, 2021 11:31 am