Apex Legends lead game designer fired amid controversy over sexist and racist comments

Electronic Arts and Respawn Entertainment have fired Apex Legends’ lead game designer Daniel Z. Klein.

Klein confirmed via Twitter that he had been dismissed on Friday, with his comments suggesting the decision was based primarily around comments he made in a blog post back in 2007.

The post, entitled “I am Daniel’s Angry Rant,” contains sexist remarks, such as implying that no women has ever behaved rationally, suggesting XX are the “moron chromosomes” and that one particular woman should be ignored because “it’s just her vagina talking.”

Apex Legends players have also surfaced other posts by Klein from this time that include racist remarks, making a joke about African people.

Apologising via Twitter, Klein said: “You may or may not have seen the awful, bigoted things I said in 2007. I wholeheartedly agree that THAT guy should have been fired.

“I have poured so much energy into becoming a better person since then, and right now I’m just very depressed because it feels I’ll never be able to make up for who I was.”

He later added EA and Respawn were “absolutely within their rights to terminate me, much as I may disagree with that decision.”

According to Fanbyte, the posts resurfaced around the time of the Activision Blizzard lawsuit that accused the Call of Duty publisher of discrimination and harassment to women, as well as violating civil rights and equal pay laws.

Klein’s 2007 post was shared on social media after he expressed solidarity with anyone who suffered at Activision Blizzard. On July 27, he acknowledged the posts via Twitter and took “full ownership” and “apologised unreservedly for them”, again emphasising that he has been working to be a better person.

In 2018, Klein spoke out to defend Riot Games — then his employer — after the League of Legends firm excluded men from recruitment workshops designed to “support women and non-binary folks who are interested in getting into games professionally.”

At the time, he said men are “ridiculously over-represented in gaming,” while women are ignored, harassed and passed over for promotions.

However, his comments — labelling those complaining about the workshops as “overgrown toddlers [throwing] hissy fits” — also drew criticism.

Shortly after, Klein and a colleague were fired for violating Riot Games’ social media policy. Speaking to Fanbyte, he claimed this was “for calling misogynist players ‘manbabies’.”