The other day, Blizzard made headlines when it released a short story for Overwatch that expanded further on the hero shooter's lore. Despite the story being based on healer-sniper Ana, the biggest news from it was the revelation that popular DPS character Soldier: 76 is gay. This reveal has had a mixed reception online, with some applauding Blizzard's decision, and others criticizing the studio for perceived pandering. However, one ex-Blizzard employee dislikes the Soldier: 76 situation for a different reason entirely.

Jules Murillo-Cueller, who was born and raised in Mexico, joined Blizzard's eSports team in 2016, where he worked primarily on Hearthstone's eSports. While working at Blizzard, Jules cited a persistent need to work excessive hours, sometimes until 3 in the morning. Jules said that his coworkers, particularly someone named Gemma Barreda-Mirkovic, teased him for his Mexican heritage, and made jokes about how he was supposedly sexist.

This bothered Jules, especially since it seemed to become more than jokes and led to some uncomfortable confrontations with Gemma. The ongoing bullying and harassment combined with the excessive work hours and his feelings that he was the team's "punching bag" saw Jules' physical health deteriorate. Jules' mental health also declined, as he developed depression and anxiety, and struggled with severe panic attacks.

Eventually, Jules had resolved to commit suicide. "I had measured the amount of rope I would need, the knot, and the place of where I was going to do it in Christmas," he said in a TwitLonger post. Jules decided against taking his own life, and then when Blizzard did not find him a new position after a medical leave of absence, he handed in his resignation in February 2018.

Jules has contacted attorneys as well as Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about his experience at Blizzard, but decided to post about it publicly after the praise given to Blizzard for its "inclusion" for revealing that Soldier: 76 is gay.

"I write this today because the Soldier 76 announcement and subsequent tweets I did triggered me. The reason why it triggered me wasn’t the message, but who it was coming from: Blizzard Entertainment. The idea of inclusion, of representation, and 'every voice matters' and 'think globally' never meant that for me and other people of color I have spoken to. Because up until recently—in the last 2 years—has the community had some representation and initiatives. But are we really represented?"

Following his time at Blizzard, Jules worked at Rocket League developer Psyonix, and then set up his own firm called Muri Entertainment. At the time of writing, Blizzard has yet to comment on Jules or any of the accusations outlined in his TwitLonger post.

Source: TwitLonger (via GamesIndustry)