The Game Awards usually tries to stay away from big controversies. If someone is upset about what it has to offer, it tends to be because they don't agree with what title won Game of the Year. Host and organizer Geoff Keighley appears to know that for the most part he shouldn't "take sides," and instead try to stay above the fray. As someone who wants to be seen as an ambassador for the gaming industry, he tries to stay out of the worst light.
However, sometimes attempting to stay above the fray can be seen as taking sides, as is the case with how Keighley and The Game Awards are currently dealing with ongoing Activision Blizzard controversies. While Keighley said his show will go out of its way not to celebrate the company itself, avoiding specific mention of Activision-Blizzard appears to be the lengths the show will go in addressing everything that's happened over the last year.
The Game Awards 2021 Will Focus On Awards
By not drawing attention to Activision Blizzard's alleged sexual misconduct cases and ongoing investigations, Keighley feels the yearly show's focus can stay on games. He's also made it clear that he wants workers who were not involved in any affairs the higher-ups are accused to not be caught in the crossfire - they shouldn't have their hard work ignored because of the actions of people they have no control over.
However, when dealing with a situation where so much has been alleged against Bobby Kotick and other execs at Activision, there's a real danger of erring on the side of caution. Many of the kinds of employees Keighley is alluding to are also not happy about the way the industry has dealt with their company's faults. Employees are staging protests in light of Kotick still leading Activision, and it's possible some might feel as though they are being ignored while The Game Awards tries to sidestep larger controversies.
Backlash Over The Game Awards' Decision
The announcement that The Game Awards won't be featuring Activision doesn't go far enough for some. Established voices in the industry like Mike Drucker made it clear he felt as though the decision to "focus on trailers" sent the wrong message. In fact, he felt so strongly about it that he made several comments about the decision to "act like Sweden" in this particular situation.
Drucker was far from the only person who didn't agree with the decision, as Konami started trending on Twitter over the weekend as backlash against The Game Awards. Many pointed to the last time Keighley had a part to play in dealing with controversy, at which time he had taken a very different tact. When Hideo Kojima had his very public split with Konami, Keighley did more than just issue a statement or talk about the situation on social media.
Instead of ignoring the situation at that years' Game Awards, Keighley went out of his way to invite the famed director on to talk about how he didn't agree with the way the company was handling their split. Some who have voiced their displeasure at The Game Awards deciding to try and stay neutral have wondered why Keighley seemingly felt compelled to comment on the Kojima situation, but not handle the Activision situation in a similar fashion. The Game Awards have yet to occur as of this writing, so it's unclear whether an official address to the controversy is being added to the show.
The Game Awards' Ties To Activision
While some have voiced opinions calling Keighley a hypocrite when it comes to handling allegations at Activision compared to Konami and Hideo Kojima, others think there might be something else behind why The Game Awards is sidestepping the Call of Duty publisher's latest controversy. There are some high-profile industry figures on the official The Game Awards' advisory board, including from Activision-Blizzard.
At the top of the list of people who make up the advisory board is Activision's president, Rob Kostich. While Kostich isn't coming under the same fire as Bobby Kotick when it comes to calls for his resignation, there were more than a few people on social media who wondered if a member of Activision's leadership serving on the advisory board have a hand in The Game Awards staying silent about the company.
There is currently no indication that The Game Awards 2021 is sidestepping the Activision controversy because Kostich is on its board of directors. It's not entirely clear what, if any authority the board has over the way that the show is pulled off. However, the Activision president having direct ties to TGAs is certainly something that has added to backlash against the way this situation is being handled.
After backlash to The Game Awards' handling of the Activision harassment accusations hit a crescendo, Keighley attempted to explain his position more on social media. He said that he understands there is no "place for abuse, harassment or predatory practices in any company or any community." He also doubled down on his previous statements about wanting his show to be a celebration of the video games industry, saying, "I also realize we have a big platform which can accelerate and inspire change. We are committed to that, but we all need to work together to build a better and a more inclusive environment so everyone feels safe to build the world’s best games."
The Game Awards 2021 streams on December 9, starting at 5:00 p.m. PST.