New Measures at Square Enix Shield Workers from Fan Toxicity

Square Enix Implements Robust Anti-Harassment Policy to Protect Staff and Partners

Square Enix has proactively introduced a comprehensive anti-harassment policy designed to safeguard its employees and collaborators. This policy clearly defines unacceptable behavior, encompassing threats of violence, defamation, and other forms of harassment. The company asserts its right to deny services and pursue legal action against individuals engaging in such conduct.

The policy's implementation underscores the increasing prevalence of online harassment within the gaming industry. This issue extends beyond Square Enix, as evidenced by high-profile incidents like death threats against the actress portraying Abby in The Last of Us Part II and the cancellation of a Nintendo live event due to threats of violence. Square Enix's decisive action aims to prevent similar situations from affecting its workforce.

The detailed policy, published on the Square Enix website, covers a broad spectrum of harassment, explicitly protecting everyone from support staff to executive leadership. While encouraging feedback, the company firmly states that harassment is unacceptable. The policy meticulously outlines specific actions constituting harassment and details the company's response mechanisms.

Square Enix's definition of harassment includes, but isn't limited to: threats of violence, defamation, business disruption, trespassing, unlawful restraint (including via phone calls and online), discriminatory speech, privacy violations (unauthorized photography or video recording), sexual harassment, and stalking. The document clearly differentiates between legitimate feedback and unacceptable harassment.

In response to such behavior, Square Enix reserves the right to suspend services and, in cases of malicious intent, initiate legal action or involve law enforcement.

Key Provisions of the Square Enix Anti-Harassment Policy:

Harassment includes:

• Acts of violence or violent behavior
• Abusive language, intimidation, coercion, duress, excessive pursuit, or reprimand
• Defamation/slander, personal attacks (across various platforms), and threats of business disruption
• Persistent inquiries and repeated visits
• Unauthorized entry onto company property
• Unlawful restraint through phone calls or online inquiries
• Discriminatory speech or conduct based on race, ethnicity, religion, origin, occupation, etc.
• Privacy infringement through unauthorized photography or video recording
• Sexual harassment and stalking

Undue Demands include:

• Unreasonable product exchanges or monetary compensation requests
• Unreasonable apology demands (especially those specifying employee positions)
• Excessive service requests beyond social norms
• Unreasonable and excessive demands for employee punishment

This proactive measure reflects the unfortunate reality of online abuse faced by game developers. Recent examples include the transphobic harassment targeting Sena Bryer, the voice actor for Wuk Lamat in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. Past incidents involving Square Enix include death threats against staff in 2018, leading to an arrest in 2019 related to gacha mechanics, and the cancellation of a 2019 tournament due to similar threats.