Respawn Entertainment writer for Apex Legends, Tom Casiello, has doubled down on his criticism of the leakers, explaining why he doesn’t think they “help” and why his actions are, in fact, “insidious.”
Fans crave information, and therefore often enjoy leaks of their favorite games. The people behind those games, by contrast, despise the leaks as a betrayal of the work and planning they’ve done.
That relationship is historical, nuanced, and has long been a point of discussion in multiple industries, but it’s especially volatile in games, where leaks often don’t need real human contacts to reveal private information.
(Oh, unless I leak the story. Then I block it. This is not a discussion. It is something much more insidious than a difference of opinion)
– Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 18, 2020
In a conversation with Apex Legends fans on Twitter, Casiello reiterated that he blocks anyone from leaking elements of the story because his actions constitute “something far more insidious than a difference of opinion.”
Later, Casiello took advantage of the analogy that a fan painted to find out why the leak is inherently useless. The analogy shows that the leaks resemble those of someone who spoils the gift you have given someone by giving away that gift, receiving the person’s gratitude, and then telling yourself that you should have “hidden it better.”
This is the greatest analogy. I borrow it the next time someone tries to tell me they are doing it to “help.” https://t.co/1vcaatAXy9
– Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 19, 2020
Casiello’s response to that analogy was that it is “the best” and a perfect response to people who tell him that “they are doing it to ‘help’.”
We will not choose a side here, but the situation is not black and white. On the one hand, the leaks are providing a service that fans enjoy and, in doing so, help amplify the hype surrounding a game in what will always be a very competitive industry. On the other hand, some of these leaks can ruin surprises that people have worked tirelessly on for years.
However, the note about gratitude in the analogy is interesting, as it implies that part of the problem of giving the gift to the child is that the child is “grateful to them.” Seems to get away from Casiello previous observations, in which he emphasized that the problem is simply the ruin of plot twists in elaborate stories. And no season exemplifies crafting a story like this, which has taken the game’s story to new heights.
Literally just got a full season based on tradition, with a whole new dialogue system full of story snippets.
No one is “starving.” I tend to think you’ve been well fed. 😁🤣 https://t.co/l5fjQhrlSw
– Tom Casiello (@tommiecas) July 17, 2020
Casiello’s stance on story-based spoilers is also shared by some in the Apex Legends leak community. Shrugtal, the popular code breaker, said he had always tried “very difficult to maintain [his leaks] free of any spoilers. “
He also called for the story’s spoilers leaking, specifically in preparation for the Broken Ghost character’s big reveal in the story’s final quest, to “stop” before Respawn takes further action.
“For those mission spoilers that leak, stop. Respawn will allow this to happen season after season,” he said June 28. “They will break the data extraction or take legal action through DMCA or C&D. We will all suffer because of it. These actions have consequences.”
I feel like this has to be said.
For those escaping mission spoilers, stop. Respawn will not allow this to happen season after season.
They will break the data extraction or take legal action through DMCA or C&D. We will all suffer for our own sake.
These actions have consequences.
– Shrugtal (@shrugtal) June 28, 2020
Other Apex Filters, like Biast12 and ILootGames, have also gone to great lengths to keep their spoilers secret. Biast12, in particular, often takes their Twitter profile in ‘private mode’ when sharing story spoilers.
Finally, Casiello and the Apex Legends writing team seem to be concerned with delivering content to their community.
While it’s understandable for people to care about the game and dive into their files to share hidden details, it’s equally understandable that writers prefer those details to be revealed at the intended pace. On the plus side, both sides seem quite passionate about the game.
