Detroit: Become Human Dev Denies Trial Reports By Gaming Union [UDPATED]

Update (9/21/2021 1:35 PM EDT): Verdicts have been reached in Quantic Dream’s two libel court cases, with Kotaku reporting a French court ruled in favor of the company in its lawsuit against Le Monde as a result of the publication not providing its anonymous sources. However, Quantic Dream reportedly lost in its case against Mediapart, with the outlet’s good faith reporting having been proven in court. The original story continues below.

Quantic Dream, the developer behind Detroit: Become Human and Heavy Rain, denies reports from its ongoing defamation trial with two media publications. In 2018, the developer lost a legal battle with a former employee, who left the company after Photoshopped images of employees in sexual positions began to circulate. Per French law, an employee who leaves a company is a victim that can sue for unfair dismissal and claim compensation if successful. Despite losing the legal battle, Quantic Dream denied the incident and claimed media outlets Le Monde and Mediapart published the reports maliciously as part of a “smear campaign.” The publications also reported that co-CEO Guillaume de Fondaumière used a dismissal claim to earn €60,000 without social security contributions. The company is currently suing both publications for defamation.

Founder David Cage and de Fondaumière have both been accused of inappropriate behavior or overlooking other employees who do the same. Reports also suggest that the two perpetuate crunch and committed sexual misconduct within the workplace. French labor union Solidaries Informatique reported Cage broke down in tears during the trial, claiming the ordeal was challenging his honor and “meddling with his business.” They also reported that Cage said disparaging remarks about women while working at the company.

As reported by gamesindustry, the developer denies the reported comments and behavior during the trial (gamesindustry confirmed the crying was an exaggeration). More allegations were brought against Cage, claiming he called all of the women in the company to have one-on-one meetings without HR or other staff after reports of harassment accusations. Quantic Dream refused to comment on “false information.” Additionally, a Quantic Dream lawyer reportedly accused a journalist of writing the reports as revenge for not being invited to the VIP of a Quantic Dream party. When asked about the validity of the reports, Quantic Dream again refuted:

“In recent days, completely fabricated quotes and misinterpreted information purported to have come from the trial have been circulating on the Internet. These misleading accusations have been proven false time and again by numerous testimonies, before the court, by current and former employees of Quantic Dream, third-party audits of financial and human resources records, and the judgments of Labour Court and Appeals Court.“

“As staff representatives, and on behalf of the employees of Quantic Dream, we unequivocally object to the unprofessional, decidedly untrue accusations that have been leveled at us for years now, as well as to the malicious dissemination of damaging images. Employees are tired of the constant attacks from outside sources who follow a personal agenda, never taking into account our own experiences and testimonies.”

With the accusations and reported toxic workplace, it is unclear what the process is like at the studio. Furthermore, David Cage’s position with Quantic Dream is most likely reliant on the impending verdict expected on July 8. If Quantic Dream loses this case, it would be hard to imagine the company would allow Cage to keep control. Quantic Dream is currently developing a new game using a new engine. Although little is known about the new project, it is slated to be another action-adventure title, much like the developer’s previous three releases.

Hopefully, if all of the accusations are true, the perpetrators are held accountable. Quantic Dream is currently in a similar situation to Ubisoft, which is still correcting longstanding abusive conditions after similar reports were made. Unfortunately, it seems Quantic Dream will have to be forced to take accountability.