Tripwire Interactive CEO out after supporting Texas anti-abortion law on Twitter
Gibson’s comments “…do not reflect those of Tripwire Interactive as a company.”
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What you need to know
Tripwire Interactive CEO John Gibson is out, with Alan Wilson appointed as interim CEO, the companyconfirmedon Monday. This follows Gibson’s comments onTwittersupporting a recent Texas anti-abortion law.
“Proud of #USSupremeCourt affirming the Texas law banning abortion for babies with a heartbeat. As an entertainer I don’t get political often. Yet with so many vocal peers on the other side of this issue, I felt it was important to go on the record as a pro-life game developer,” Gibson wrote.
These comments drew immediate ire from game developers, including several public statements of disavowal from teams whose games are published by Tripwire Interactive. Tripwire Interactive publishes games like the shark role-playing game Maneater, as well as the recent Medieval combat titleChivalry 2, which has sold over one million copies and is rapidly becoming one of thebest Xbox multiplayer gamesavailable.
“This perspective is not shared by our team, nor is it reflected in the games we create. The statement stands in opposition to what we believe about women’s rights,“wroteTorn Banner Studios, developer of Chivalry 2.
“The comments given by John Gibson are of his own opinion, and do not reflect those of Tripwire Interactive as a company. His comments disregarded the values of our whole team, our partners and much of our broader community,” Tripwire Interactive notes in its press release. “Our leadership team at Tripwire are deeply sorry and are unified in our commitment to take swift action and to foster a more positive environment.”
Tripwire also notes that interim CEO Wilson will be holding a town hall and other meetings to address the concerns of Tripwire Interactive employees and partners alike.
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Samuel Tolbert is a freelance writer covering gaming news, previews, reviews, interviews and different aspects of the gaming industry, specifically focusing on Xbox and PC gaming on Windows Central. You can find him on Twitter@SamuelTolbert.
