Godot Engine User Blocking Controversy / #Wokot

Submission 27,219

I'm a developer Be honest. I make game engines Be honest. I'm a political activist Thank you.

Conscious_Yam_4753 • 1d ago • there isn't drama, there are politically motivated 4channers trying to create the appearance of drama and controversy. they're an extreme minority, most of them don't even use godot, and their fork is going nowhere Reply Share

freakshowgamings @gamer4life4. 22h hi and welcome. what would your stance be on PR on the official redot page? 1.5K Redot reposted Redot @RedotEngine Our stance is this is for promoting the engine, games, and members of the community. This account is NOT a platform for anyone's political or religious ideologies. 9:42 PM - Sep 29, 2024 6,843 Views 178 203 Σ <] ↑

John Draisey ❤ @JohnDraisey Game engine social media accounts shouldn't be blocking developers. I don't know what Godot's social media manager is thinking. . 10:53 AM - Sep 28, 2024 160.9K Views

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Overview

Godot Engine Blocking Controversy refers to a controversy surrounding the community manager for the game engine Godot blocking users on X / Twitter and, reportedly, GitHub over negative reactions to a social media post in support of indie games with LGBTQ+ and "woke" themes. The blocking became a subject of viral discussions on X and Reddit in late September 2024, with the hashtag #Wokot used by posters to refer to it.

Background

On September 24th, 2024, an indie video game developer posted footage from the upcoming Windstorm: The Legend of Khiimori on X^[1] / Twitter, revealing that it was built using Unreal Engine 5. In the X^[2] thread, user @kryztofcheski wrote, "Woke studios always use pre-built engines to make games because they can't build their own engines." In the following days, several X^[3] users quote posted the post, mocking the presumption that gaming engines could be "woke" (example post shown below).

Natalie Spitzel @nat_the_dev Sorry fellow devs I guess game engines are Woke™ kryztofjønsøn @kryztofcheski • Sep 24 Replying to @AfterWarPlantX @Malice DaFirenze and @GorkaGames It makes sense doesn't it? Woke studios always use pre built engines to make games because they can't build their own engines. 1:22 PM ⚫ Sep 26, 2024 54.2K Views

On September 27th, the official X^[4] / Twitter account for Godot Engine, run by a community manager, made a post referencing @kryztofcheski's post, calling for indie developers to showcase their "woke" game built using the engine. The post (shown below) garnered over 1.7 million views, 2,000 reposts and 16,000 likes in three days.

Godot Engine @godotengine Apparently game engines are woke now? Well then, we won't complain Show us your #Wokot games below 9:21 AM Sep 27, 2024 · 1.7M Views

In the following hours, Godot Engine blocked several developers and other users who replied to the post with criticisms. For example, on September 27th, 2024, developer funnygamedev reported being blocked on X^[5] by the Godot Engine X account after asking them to focus on fixing and supporting Bitmap fonts (post shown below). On September 28th, indie developer and pixel artist @Cosmic_Scr wrote on X^[6] that they were blocked by Godot Engine on X after replying with Godot Engine creator Juan Linietsky's quote "I deeply believe that any political discussion that puts labels to a group of people is one that should not have started." On September 28th, 2024, Godot Engine backer Starkium reported that they were blocked on X^[7] by the account over a comment. Developer @dev_bonnie made a post about being blocked by Godot Engine on X,^[15] writing, "Erm friendly fire" and pointing out that they are bisexual.

10.0 Godot Engine @godotengine. Sep 27 Apparently game engines are woke now? Well then, we won't complain Show us your #Wokot games below → 2.7K 172K 15K 1.7M ☐ 1 funnygamedev (mouse) @funnygamedev Sep 27 Can you focus on fixing/supporting Bitmap fonts to properly import into your engine first instead of doing this sort of thing its delaying my project a lot having to try to bugfix this with the little documentation you have for this. Q41 1753 1.7K Ill 46K funnygamedev (mouse) @funnygamedev blocking me for this really mild criticism for something that should be in a 2D engine a while now is making me consider switching to a different engine. There's a proper use of resources and it should be done to fix the stuff you have in there, not adding new things. Godot Engine @godotengine BENA 6 200 You're blocked You can't follow or see @godotengine's posts. Learn more 5:48 PM · Sep 27, 2024 899 Views

On September 29th, indie developer Anthony Waldsmith wrote on X^[8] that he has been blocked by Godot Engine on the developer platform GitHub (post shown below).

Anthony Waldsmith @anthonywaldz They've also blocked me on GitHub LOL! Blocked from the godotengine organization You have been blocked from the godotengine organization A maintainer of the @godotengine organization has blocked you because of a recent post. For more information please see the community guidelines or contact the maintainer at contact@godotengine.org. 6:58 AM · Sep 29, 2024 117.5K Views ...

On September 28th, Godot Engine creator and technical advisor Juan Linietsky made several posts regarding the controversy before making their X^[9] account private (shown below).

Developments

Xananax Discord Messages

On September 29th, 2024, X^[10] user @LxixStLee posted a screenshot of a statement made by Xananax, a moderator of an unofficial Godot Engine-related discord, in which they lashed out at negative comments on X, writing that "the drama is created by reactionary insecure cowards" and that "anyone who has a problem with [the tweet] can fuck off to oblivion." The post (shown below) was widely circulated online; it was not made clear that the message was not made by an official Godot Engine representative. On September 29th, 2024, X^[11] user @GamesNosh posted a screenshot of Xanaxan using racial slurs on Discord dating back to 2016.

xananax [he/him] Today at 7:03 PM The drama isn't created by Godot, who just made a nice tweet to surface cool indie games. The drama is created by reactionary insecure cowards, who have nothing better to do in their day than to s--- on something they are unconcerned with. They even feel "persecuted" because other people... exist and are visible. These people's cowardice and small mindedness is a danger to everyone; They're the filth of humanity, and banning them is a kindness to everyone, including themselves; that way, they can continue to pretend the world is made only of cowards like them and not be subjected to people that are different. For me, the only problem of this tweet is that it doesn't happen every day, so more of those imbeciles can be banned. They should be doing these tweets every 30mn, and anyone who has a problem with them can f--- off to oblivion, and then f--- off some more. And anyone having any slight issue with it here can f--- off too. To not have mode drama, it's very easy: There will be no more drama the day those drama queens stop getting their panties in a knot around anything that doesn't concern them. See something that doesn't concern you in any way? Just do your best to be a normal human being about it, and there will be no drama.

Godot Foundation Response

On September 30th, 2024, Godot Foundation Board posted^[12] an official response to the controversy, condemning the harassment against their staff and admitting to mistakenly blocking individuals who had not participated in it, offering to appeal against the blocks via a Google Form (post shown below).

On Friday, we made a tweet that unexpectedly led to a wave of harassment directed at our staff and community. We unequivocally condemn this abuse. The volume of negative engagement overwhelmed our moderation efforts. While attempting to protect the Godot community we mistakenly blocked individuals who were not participating in the harassment. The Godot Foundation Board takes full responsibility for these moderation actions. If you believe you were blocked in error and have not violated our Code of Conduct, please contact us with the form linked below. We are committed to swiftly rectifying any mistakes. We firmly stand by our mission to keep our community spaces free from hate, discrimination, and other toxic behaviors. - The Godot Foundation Board GODOT FOUNDATION

In a separate statement,^[12] Godot Foundation Board clarified that the unofficial Discord moderator Xananax was not affiliated with Godot Engine and condemned their harmful language.

Online Reactions

The blockings of game developers by Godot Engine on X and the reported blocking on GitHub became a viral subject of discussions online, with multiple users accusing Godot Engine community manager of abusing her position and wrongfully blocking developers and other users (example post shown below).^[13] Several users called for Godot Engine creator Juan Linietsky to remove the community manager.^[14]

Perma Banned @GiveMeBanHammer Godot's Community Manager is using GODOT's official account to go on a huge blocking spree because customers and observers alike do not like their virtue-signalling post. The CM is even blocking PAYING customers who forked a lot of money to Godot. This is...not gonna end well. Godot Engine @godotengine 1d Apparently game engines are woke now? Well then, we won't complain Show us your #Wokot games below Rate proposed Community Notes I have been blocked. Guess what, I'm a titanium level backer for the Godot fund. Guess what my next move is? #Godot #Wokot #gamedev Godot Engine 1.1K tz 1.2K ❤ 10K lil 707K Starkium @LifeArtStudios cus on the engine and not politics 5 PM 28/9/2024 84K Views 16 1K ☐ 8 8:18 AM ⚫ Sep 29, 2024 177K Views Σ Bookmarks Godot Engine Communities Follow NUII You're blocked Diamond Sylv Bippinbits And 3 anonymous donc Titanium Studio Sunshower PolyMars Kenney RPG in a B u Erhua) TrampolineTales Lucid Silence Games ( EDG Entertainment Adriaan de Jongh And 4 an Starkium @LifeArtStudios 20h focus on the engine and not politics 11:20 AM 29/9/2024.124K Views

Following the viral discussions, the controversy became a subject of memes on social media, primarily on X / Twitter. For example, on September 29th, 2024, X^[16] user @CodeRed_dev posted a Phil Swift slaps on Flex Tape meme about the block wave that garnered over 280 reposts and 6,000 likes on the platform in one day (shown below).