The general manage of Microsoft Studios Publishing, Shannon Loftis, was one of the many verified Twitter users and industry professionals to reproach THQ Nordic for hosting an AMA on 8chan with real, actual, paying customers. It’s one of the unfiltered places on the internet not controlled by Social Justice Warrior moderation or heavy political correctness and censorship. Obviously most of the people pushing the Social Justice Warrior agenda do not want companies interacting with the gaming community who aren’t toeing the ideological line. This was quite evident when Loftis pressured THQ Nordic – among many others – to remove the tweet about them partaking in an AMA on 8chan.

The tweet from THQ Nordic was originally published on February 26th, 2019. The tweet is now deleted and THQ Nordic apologized for having participated in the AMA on 8chan after being attacked and threatened by game journalists and other industry professionals.

An archive of the tweet, however, reveals that Loftis was one of the more prominent names asking THQ Nordic why the tweet was still up.

After Loftis made the tweet, some people asked her to continue to put pressure on THQ Nordic at her “workplace”, while users asked her why was she putting pressure on THQ, a competing company? Loftis proceeded to block the users, and even made a mocking tweet of the gesture.

Block blockin block blockity. — Shannon Loftis in New Providence (@shannonloftis) February 27, 2019

He then responded to THQ Nordic’s tweet informing the rest of the thread that he had been blocked and that this was a matter for the Federal Trade Commission.

Uh-oh, good thing the @FTC takes care of these things. pic.twitter.com/MFq13zFsr7 — (Player Character) DNC MAY CRY MMXVIII (@Tarleton_exe) February 27, 2019

But it didn’t end there.

Twitter user Mombot posted up tweets of not just Shannon Loftis applying pressure to THQ, but also a developer from DICE using ResetEra as a way to insinuate that THQ could be blackballed due to talking with gamers in an AMA on 8chan.

Here is the GM of Microsoft Studios Publishing publicly pressuring THQ on twitter. Here is a developer at DICE instigating the mob on ResetERA. These are employees of competing companies, not bothering to hide their identities. I wonder what their marketing teams do in secret. pic.twitter.com/al4j65AUJJ — Best Mom Eva (@mombot) February 27, 2019

If you’re unable to read the image in the tweet, the post from the DICE developer is still live over on ResetEra forums.

Elenarie, the DICE developer, wrote across multiple posts, saying…

“I hope this incident triggers more corporate responsibility from companies around. This passes the lines of being ignorant and moronic into something much more horrific. How the hell did someone think this was a good idea, giving exposure to that hell hole in any way. […] “[…] Talking more industry wide. At this point, I don’t see how THQ can recover, not care to know. “We’ve seen the industry over the last few years increase corporate responsibility and awareness in regards to many social issues (diversity, equality, work life balance, and more), but unfortunately stupid stunts like this and offensive parties and what not are still happening. “What I’m trying to say is that companies need to be much more responsible about who they work with, including who they partner with for publicity purposes.”

Surrounding this topic, various members of the gaming industry began talking about boycotting THQ Nordic’s products.

One user, going by the handle of Engie, attempted to speak out against what appeared to be talk of blacklisting THQ Nordic, but was banned permanently for being a “troll”.

If various large game companies did decide to establish a group boycott against THQ Nordic, it would be an antitrust violation, as outlined in the competition guidance over on the Federal Trade Commission’s website.

As many have pointed out regarding various other companies trying to disrupt THQ Nordic’s publishing contracts, this would fall under tortious interference, as outlined over on the Cornell Law School website.

But it didn’t end there.

Certain people began throwing around the idea that the whole thing was organized by former Blizzard developer Mark Kern.

They think that /v/’s Mark is Mark Kern. pic.twitter.com/CPgz4vSwY4 — Best Mom Eva (@mombot) February 27, 2019

This was misapprehended by Social Justice Warriors.

The “Mark” hosting the AMA on 8chan was the board owner, not the developer Mark Kern.

Well @SecretGamerGrrl is going to be at the end of whopping lawsuit if they keep spreading this BS. I have nothing to do with @THQNordic or /v/ or whatever. I’m blocked so I can’t report her. Pls do report @secretgamergrrl if you can. this is outrageous. https://t.co/5JZNZazEbZ — Mark Kern (@Grummz) February 27, 2019

It wasn’t just one of them spreading the misinformation about Mark Kern hosting the AMA.

Savvy Gamer founder and economist Lewie Procter also chimed in to reiterate SecretGamerGrrl’s pretence.

After Kern addressed the issue with Procter, he proceeded to delete the tweets.

However, Kern wasn’t quite as successful with getting SecretGamerGrrl to remove the calumny.

Twitter: You can’t say #learntocode. You can’t use the wrong pronoun or reference someone’s birth gender. You can’t post conspiracy theories. But if you have the right politics, you can make up and tweet endless false accusations to harass someone all day. — Mark Kern (@Grummz) February 27, 2019

The drama has resulted in not just headaches for people like Mark Kern, but also lots of negative press for THQ by journalists and the blue checkmark mafia on Twitter.

Not everyone was soured on the whole ordeal for the same reasons, though. For instance, Running With Scissors, the makers of the Postal games, were disappointed that they couldn’t receive the kind of notoriety and press that THQ Nordic picked up by simply doing an AMA on 8chan.

Big deal, we did that like 5 years ago! Made a board, too! But I guess we’re not cool enough to write sensationalist headlines about… 😔 Can you send some press our way @THQNordic? pic.twitter.com/PDeVEmFtVX — Running With Scissors (@RWSbleeter) February 27, 2019

Maybe if they make a “woke” game; gain a little attention from the media; garner some decent sales from millennial teens; proceed to talk exclusively to 8chan about the sequel; then unapologetically meme about it Twitter, they they might receive some negative press and a trending spot on Twitter from the minions of the Intersectional Inquisition… maybe.

(Thanks for the news tip Lyle)

(Main image courtesy of Future of Storytelling)