Focus Entertainment has confirmed that it has filed formal legal complaints following an escalation in threatening messages directed at members of its staff. The French publisher, known for games including Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 and A Plague Tale, addressed the issue on September 15 through social media and several community Discord servers.
Focus Entertainment Draws a Line Against Player Harassment
According to Focus Entertainment’s official statement, the company has dealt with toxic messages toward employees and development teams for years, but says the recent escalation has crossed into direct threats. The publisher stated that it expects community members to help create an environment where players, moderators, developers and staff feel
“welcome, respected, and included.”
Focus specifically said it will not tolerate violent or sexist comments and warned that it reserves the right to take necessary legal measures to protect its employees. The statement was also shared within the Space Marine 2 community, although Focus has not identified a specific game, incident or controversy as the cause of the threats.
The publisher has not publicly disclosed how many complaints were filed or identified the players involved. It also has not provided details about the threats themselves, leaving the precise circumstances behind the escalation unclear.
The situation highlights a broader problem facing the games industry, where developers and publishers increasingly have to address harassment directed at employees through online communities. Automaton similarly reported that Focus is preparing to respond to escalating harassment with measures that can include legal action.
