Sega is Taking Legal Action Against Social Media User

Summary

Sega recently took legal action against a social media user who posted defamatory remarks about one of the company's employees.
The studio warns toxic fans that it will not tolerate harassment towards its staff.
Sega is not the only developer fighting back against abusive behavior online, with Bungie also filing a lawsuit against one such user last year.

Video game developer Sega took legal action against an abusive social media user. The Japanese corporation previously admitted that it had dealt with its fair share of toxic comments, even admitting one of its developers was recently subjected to a campaign of defamatory remarks. While Sega stated it sincerely valued the feedback of its massive player base, whether it took the form of praise or criticism, the studio has taken a stand against what it deemed to be extreme harassment of a staff member.

Though not representative of all gamers, one vocal minority of troublemakers has caused its fair share of controversies. More than once, developers, publishers, and even voice actors have received threatening emails from outraged players. Just this year, the developers of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 spoke about their experience with online harassment, leading to a community manager slamming toxic users for sending death threats to the people behind the game.

A collage of Sega Genesis games: ToeJam & Earl (left), Sonic 2 (middle), and Ghouls 'n' Ghosts (right).

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By Elizabeth Orchard

Now, acclaimed video game developer Sega is taking things a step further by formally bringing one such allegedly toxic fan to an official court of law. The company recently announced it had taken legal action against an individual who reportedly posted slanderous and insulting comments online about one of Sega's employees. Though Sega refrained from revealing the individual's identity, it stated it had reached a settlement forcing the offender to pay damages to the worker in question. The unnamed individual is additionally obligated to delete the offensive messages and refrain from committing similar actions in the future.

Sega Warns Other Toxic Users Against Harassing Developers

Sega reiterated that it takes threats to its employees seriously, whether physical or mental, warning possible offenders that it was prepared to take action according to its Customer Harassment Policy if necessary. The developer of the beloved Sonic the Hedgehog series additionally thanked fans for their continued support, promising it would aspire to exceed expectations in its future projects.

Though it is not too common an occurrence, Sega isn't the only video game developer to fight back against toxicity and harassment. In recent years, studios and fans alike have rallied against overtly hostile and threatening messages towards developers, voice actors, and other industry personalities. Last year, Destiny 2 developer Bungie even filed a lawsuit against one such toxic user, which subsequently ended with the offending individual paying $500,000 in damages to the studio's aggrieved employee.

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