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Amid a larger discussion about DEI’s influence on the video game industry, a person who has worked as a lawyer and producer within the industry for years ranted on Wednesday about how it was his job to purge certain people.
Fans of beloved franchises across genres of entertainment have voiced frustration when they think movie studios and writers have adopted divisive identity politics or go "woke." Some have put the blame on DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) consulting companies that often work with a movie, series, or video game in development and help write or influence their stories.
In the video game industry, one consultant agency made headlines recently for being at the center of controversy over allegedly pushing diversity politics in certain video games. Sweet Baby Inc. (SBI) describes itself as an "inclusion-focused narrative and consultation company" working toward "diversifying and enriching the video games industry." On the video game digital distribution service Steam, over 250,000 gamers have followed a list called "Sweet Baby Inc. Detected" to alert consumers who may not wish to support their content.
Don McGowan, is the former chief legal officer of The Pokémon Company as well as a producer of the film "Pokemon: Detective Pikachu," in addition to having served General Counsel and a producer for Bungie, the company behind the Halo games. He wrote a long, now-deleted thread about how his job in the industry was to purge "a—holes" from gaming. He was responding to the consumer backlash against DEI consultancy companies like Sweet Baby Inc., calling anti-woke consumers "human garbage."
Donald "Don" McGowan has touted his involvement with the companies behind Pokemon and the Halo franchise over his years in the game industry. (Screenshot of McGowan from The Legal 500 YouTube channel, photo of Master Chief from Halo by Getty Images, Photo by Michael Stewart/FilmMagic)
McGowan wrote, "20 years in games, 17 in the C-suite, so I am well situated to say: these people blaming one consultancy for everything they don’t like are again demonstrating they know nothing about the subject they purport to be discussing. They are sexist and racist."
He retweeted a thread from Kotaku senior editor Alyssa Mercante, who wrote about the Sweet Baby Inc. controversy. She appeared to claim people who followed the "Sweet Baby Inc. Detected" list were engaged in a "harassment campaign."
Under the social media username, "Trans kids are not a threat. Leave them alone!," McGowan argued people who are upset with DEI messaging in games are loathed by the industry, stating it had been his job to "get rid" of them.
The video game industry has been a battle in recent years as some consumers reject identity politics being shoehorned into their entertainment. (Adobe Stock)
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"And it never occurs to them that the reason nobody made games ‘for them’ was because nobody wanted to make those kinds of games," he wrote. "Nobody wants your money because no one wants you in their environment. Take it from someone most of whose job was figuring out ways to get rid of you."
He continued, "Trust and Safety departments exist to get a--holes out of the gaming environment. You end up creating them to get rid of a--holes, because adult humans don’t want to spend their leisure time with a--holes. You’re a GamerGater? F--- off, you g-----n child."
McGowan touted his work for The Pokemon company, noting, "By the way, if you're f-----g crying about the fact that I'm telling you to eat s--t, think about why you're such a person that the producer of Detective Pikachu thinks you are human garbage, and maybe work on being less s----y."
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He later appeared to paraphrase philosopher Karl Popper’s paradox of tolerance.
"What’s the old rule about not showing tolerance to people who are themselves intolerant? That one. That’s what you see in this thread and my responses. No, I’m not interested in ‘debate’. No, I don’t care if you think I’m a ‘bully’. Get back in your f-----g lockers," McGowan wrote.
Since his rant on X, McGowan has made his account private and changed his username to "Well, this place was fun while it lasted" and wrote in his bio "went out with a bang, but now I'm out. If you know me IRL, find me there. If you don't, don't."
Fox News Digital reached out to The Pokémon Company, Bungie, and McGowan. This article will be updated with any replies.