Rust is still one of the most popular games right now, so it has a strong user base. Facepunch Studios, its developers, had the idea to meet some members of their community at a special event. However, in the end they canceled it due to death threats.
According to the details, the meeting was to take place next week, in a cafeteria in San Francisco, United States. The idea was to take advantage of the developers’ trip to the Game Developers Conference 2023 so they could meet some of their fans and Rust players . Unfortunately, it will not be possible since the security of its creatives is at risk.
RUST STUDY DENOUNCES CONSTANT DEATH THREATS
Alistair McFarlane, producer of Rust , revealed that members of the studio are a constant target of death threats and doxing. Therefore, they take seriously any insinuation that puts the integrity of their workers at risk.
Through its social networks, the developer announced the cancellation of its next event as it received more death threats and fears for the safety of its developers.
“This is not a statement we’re happy to announce. Due to an IRL threat we must take seriously, we’re going to have to cancel the GDC meetup in San Fran next week.(…) It’s important to remember the developers are indeed humans. When threats arise we make their safety #1,” the study stated.
McFarlane added that fans are constantly annoyed by the changes they make to the game and this leads them to harass and attack their teammates. Likewise, he affirmed that the workers who are in communication with the community receive threats on a daily basis.
He added that the mental health of some workers has been affected by this situation and that, on occasions, they have had to change their personal information on social networks to avoid doxing. The community was disappointed by the event’s cancellation, but they understand the studio and showed their support on social media.
“The vast majority of fans are respectful and supportive, there will always be a small subset of people who engage in threatening and abusive behavior,” the creative concluded.
