Star Wars Eclipse, a new game set in the High Republic era, was announced at last year’s Game Awards. Eclipse is being developed by Quantic Dream, a studio that has received a string of accusations of toxic workplace culture and bigotry over the years. This led to an online protest of the game at the tail end of 2021, which Quantic Dream is only now responding to.
The studio’s statement doesn’t specifically address any accusations. Instead, it lists “some facts and actions [Quantic Dream has] taken to further [its] commitment to nurturing a respectful, welcoming, and supportive studio.” These include “partnering with an LGBTQIA+ organization” in order to accurately and respectfully depict members of that community in its games, a pledge “to hire and elevate diverse talent,” and the hiring of a new top-level leader whose focus will be on diversity, equity, and inclusion.
The blog post ends with a promise to make the studio “the safest environment” for employees. These are all good things on paper, but considering the statement begins with a mention of Quantic Dream’s impending 25th anniversary, it seems like the studio is just trying to save face so it can keep operating.
The accusations even led to reports of Star Wars Eclipse getting a 2027 release date at the earliest due to hiring troubles at the studio. It’s a believable report — the studio’s accused history seems to preclude a well-run, diverse team. Even so, Quantic Dream refuted the report in March of this year. Eclipse has no release date one way or the other right now.
