Harrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin's Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

Gaming IndustryHarrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us RemakeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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100 Slaps: The Breaking News The Games Industry Ignored in 2024 - YouTubeWatch On

100 Slaps: The Breaking News The Games Industry Ignored in 2024 - YouTube

Before we proceed, it should be noted thatthe contents of the report involve extensive physical and psychological abuse and the death of a child, as well as recordings of coerced self-harm.I will also be describing some of these elements below.

The bulk of evidence provided comes from Christa Sydney, who alleges that she suffered years of abuse during her time at the company. Sydney states that, after joining Brandoville in 2019, she was reprimanded for raising “her voice to the company’s CEO, Ken Lai, during a disagreement over how some business cards had been printed.”

The report claims that, despite being expected to be fired, Cherry Lai intervened, saying that “God had talked to her”, after which Sydney was taken under her wing and given “two weeks to prove herself.”

The allegations include controlling behaviour, physical attacks, harassment, financial control, and coercing Sydney into acts of self-harm. Recordings, shared in the video, see Sydney slapping her own face 100 times, striking her mouth until it bleeds, and being dazed and unable to answer sentences after Cherry Lai requested a separate, self-inflicted punishment: “I had concussion-like symptoms,” Sydney explains, placed next to a video where she is struggling to respond. “My vision became all-white for a couple of seconds.”

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Her son would later be born two months prematurely, and sadly died four months afterwards in the ICU. The report then shows a later text thread between Cherry Lai and Brandoville’s HR manager at the time where, speaking of Afianti’s emergency leave to grieve her son, Cherry Lai is shown to state there was “no way we pay for her currently sad mood or anything” and that they needed “take control back.”

People Make Games put the accusations to Cherry Lai, and she responded: “To me, my part of the story is not important, as long as my team are good and safe now,” and stated she’d be happy to talk if they came to Hong Kong to speak with her. When they stated they would, but that conversations would need to be recorded, she cut off contact. Ken Lai also did not respond.

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