NetherRealm Addresses Accusations of Toxic Working Environments

May 08, 2019 10:15 AM PDT "We take these matters very seriously and are always working to improve our company environment."

by Jon Ryan

NetherRealm Studios, the developers behind the Mortal Kombat and Injustice franchises, has responded to the allegations of what one former employee referred to as "predatory and abusive behavior."

In a statement to Variety, the studio explained they "Greatly appreciate and respect all of our employees and prioritize creating a positive work experience. As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage diversity and constantly take steps to reduce crunch time for our employees. We are actively looking into all allegations, as we take these matters very seriously and are always working to improve our company environment. There are confidential ways for employees to raise any concerns or issues.”

The statement comes in response to a series of allegations made by current and former employees to a variety of sources as well as their personal Twitter accounts.

Image credit: Beck Hallstedt

The allegations consist of grievances typically brought up in the discussion around "crunch culture" in games, such as exceedingly long work weeks, mismanaged scheduling, and exploitative wages, as well as other discriminatory behaviors like eliminating a women's restroom due to a low percentage of female employees.

This, coming just two days after employees at Riot Games staged a walkout protesting forced arbitration, further highlights the ongoing discussion about the need for workers in the games industry to unionize.

JR is a Senior Features Editor at IGN, and really hopes we'll someday see the day when companies worry more about their employees than their bottom lines. He talks about this pipe dream all the time on Twitter.

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