Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Tripwire Interactive CEO steps down following controversial anti-abortion tweet

Tripwire Interactive CEO John Gibson stepped down from his position on Monday after posting on Twitter that he was proud of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a Texas law that bans most abortions. Tripwire Interactive will be led by the company’s vice president and co-founder, Alan Wilson, who is taking the role of interim CEO.

Gibson’s tweet, posted this past Saturday, drew strong reactions the next day from members of the game industry. Cory Barlog, the creative director of God of War developer Sony Santa Monica Studio, pulled no punches, saying “you are all about this fucked Texas bounty law that pushes us closer to some kind of Gilead dystopian religious state? Really???”

Related Videos

Reactions to Gibson’s statement weren’t limited solely to individual members of the games industry. Two companies that have worked with Tripwire also rebuked Gibson’s statement, with one, Shipwright Studios, canceling all “of our existing contracts effective immediately.” Torn Banner Studios, which developed Chivalry 2 with assistance from Shipwright, also spoke publicly against Gibson’s statement, saying “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.”

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.

— John Gibson (@RammJaeger) September 4, 2021

In its statement naming Wilson as interim CEO, Tripwire Interactive, which has recently published Maneater and Chivalry 2, said “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.”

The highly controversial Texas law, which went into effect across the Lone Star State this past Wednesday, effectively bans most abortions. Specifically, it prevents women from receiving an abortion after a heartbeat from the embryo can be detected, which is usually by the sixth week of pregnancy. In his statement, Gibson said “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.”

Editors' Recommendations

A.I. could play a vital role in the birth of tomorrow’s IVF children
microwave a sponge baby

Since the first “test-tube baby” was born in 1978, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) has been an astonishing game changer when it comes to helping people to conceive. However, as amazing as it is, its success rate still typically hovers around 30 percent. That means that seven out of ten attempts will fail. This can be extremely taxing to would-be parents not only financially, but also mentally and physically. Could A.I. help improve those odds and, in the process, play an important role in the birth of many of tomorrow’s babies?

According to investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, the answer looks to be a resounding “yes.” They are working on a deep-learning A.I. that can help decide on which embryos should be transferred during an IVF round.

Read more
TikTok stars Blake Gray and Bryce Hall charged for partying during pandemic
Bryce Hall and Blake Gray face criminal charges

https://www.instagram.com/p/CC3zkj_hD0S/

TikTok megastars Bryce Hall and Blake Gray were charged Friday with violating public health ordinances put in place for the coronavirus pandemic after throwing a series of large parties at their Hollywood Hills home this month that were thoroughly documented on social media.

Read more
Zuckerberg defends Facebook’s misinformation and hate policies in earnings call
mark zuckerberg shocked

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg defended his company's policies when it comes to moderating hate speech and misinformation in an earnings call Thursday, saying, "We do not profit from misinformation or hate.

"We do not want this content on our platforms," he continued. "As I told Congress yesterday, I am proud of the services we build."

Read more