Ian Proulx, head of Splitgate 2, generated controversy in the gaming community after his appearance at the Summer Game Fest, where he wore a hat reminiscent of Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again slogan. Proulx stated that his intention was not political, but to highlight the need for innovation in first-person shooter games, which he considers “tragically stagnant.” However, his choice caused a division in the community, provoking reactions both in favor and against.
It wasn’t hard to realize it was a terrible idea
In a video published later, Proulx apologized for the harm caused and acknowledged that he should have apologized earlier. “I have no excuses, I’m sorry,” he expressed, emphasizing that his goal was to draw attention to the current state of FPS games. During the event, he stated that he was “tired of playing the same Call of Duty every year,” which was interpreted as an attempt to provoke controversy in a saturated market.
The executive stated that the idea behind the hat was conceived as a meme to “break the noise” in an environment where hundreds of games compete for the public’s attention. “We really wanted to improve this genre. We are disappointed with its current state,” insisted Proulx. Despite his attempt to clarify the situation, the controversy persists, leading the executive to acknowledge that his message had a negative impact on the Splitgate community.
Proulx participated in a mini-AMA on Reddit and announced a full AMA for June 11, in order to engage with the community and clarify her intentions. “I hate to see division,” she concluded, reflecting on how the platform they use has had an adverse effect and highlighting the importance of the repercussions of their actions rather than just the intention behind them.
