Tripwire Interactive CEO John Gibson steps down amid severe backlash
Alan Wilson has been appointed the new Interim CEO while leadership decisions are made.
John Gibson has stepped down as CEO of Tripwire Interactive following backlash from the community and staff in regards to his approval of Texas’ recent anti-abortion law. Tripwire Interactive released a statement addressing the change in leadership as Alan Wilson takes up the mantle of Interim CEO.
Tripwire Interactive released a statement on Monday, September 6, 2021 announcing that John Gibson has stepped down as CEO of Tripwire Interactive. In his stead, Alan Wilson will be Interim CEO. Wilson, a co-founding member and current Vice President, has been with the company since its creation back in 2005. In this new role, Wilson will work with leadership to “take steps with employees and partners to address their concerns” and will even have a company-wide meeting to generate an open dialogue between employees and leadership.
A statement regarding recent events.
— Tripwire Interactive (@TripwireInt) September 7, 2021
Tripwire Official Site: https://t.co/Vgyx0jMLBb pic.twitter.com/rmKp105EIg
For those playing catch up, John Gibson took to Twitter on September 5, 2021 to praise the new Texas law that bans abortion after six weeks and “deputizes private citizens to sue anyone who aids in the procedure,” as Jason Schreier puts it in his tweet regarding the recent news. You can read Gibson's tweet below.
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
The games industry and community was aghast that such a prolific developer would come out in support of these anti-choice laws which take healthcare and freedoms from women. The response from Tripwire Interactive was quick and decisive, with responses to the Twitter post praising the company’s stance. Be sure to keep it locked to Shacknews as this story develops.
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replySam Chandler posted a new article, Tripwire Interactive CEO John Gibson steps down amid severe backlash
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He’ll be stepping way down. Maybe he can join the My Pillow company?
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Complicated feelings about this.
A) Good. ABSOLUTELY fuck that guy and his backwards-ass takes.
B) He should probably be able to hold a religious belief and not lose his job, right?
C) The market spoke on this, and he did open his mouth publicly and proudly, so I guess that's on him? IDK.
D) See A: Fuck this guy.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Regarding B: He didn't express a religious belief. He expressed political support for a specific, particularly abominable law. His tweet explicitly couched it as political, not religious.
Mind you, I don't believe religious beliefs should get special treatment either. Shitty beliefs and attitudes are shitty beliefs and attitudes.-
Hrrmm. That feels off to me, but maybe I just haven't been paying enough attention. I just saw the one thread on here about it, and what i gleaned from that was that his political belief was clearly informed by his religious. I mean the dude has a Christian metal band. I don't think the source of his "pro life" stance is particularly opaque.
I agree that shitty beliefs are still just shitty, and as far as I'm concerned reproductive autonomy falls under basic human rights and supersedes any religious exceptions... at the same time I have to acknowledge that there is a line all this tiptoes around. It's hard to care because being pro-life (especially in support of this particular law) is so wrongheaded, but it feels a little slippery slope-y to me. I don't really have an a good answer, and i think him resigning is acceptable for the stupidity of saying that out loud. However, when I think about people in the past who have been "too stupid to say it out loud" those are the people who affect change. I think being afraid to say something you believe is a bad state to be in on the whole.
IDK it's late and I'm rambling. Food for thought, I guess. Also I would like to re-iterate: fuck this guy and fuck that law.
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I think Twitter makes it different.
If he told his plumber that he agrees with the ruling, no one would care. But he went on soap box and told the whole world via Twitter and the whole world does not agree. And it got max
He is still entitled to his beliefs even now, but the owners of their company are also entitled to not work with someone who poisons their brand and revenue and could fire him for that. As a CEO he should have been more careful.
Don’t post controversial things online especially if you have something to lose.
Someone could need to step down for voicing disagreement with this law too.
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He won’t learn a thing. I’m certain.
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Does this kind of action ever help the target long in the end, is that even a goal? I'm not in anyway saying I'm on his side, or anyone for that matter when they get called like this. I'm just doubtful whether we actually believe that anyone comes out the other side an improved person.
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That assumes it was possible for him to come out of this as an improved person.
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probably not but he might be more motivated to keep his opinions to himself.
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I think the issue with B is CEO is different than any other employee and have different rules to follow. Also he wasn't fired, he stepped down. Which means its costing the company a lot of money to get him to leave.
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i lived to see the day where CliffyB is right on twitter wow
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damn that was fast
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