The video game industry is becoming increasingly dominated by activists, whether it's the game developers themselves or the journalists writing about these games. The latest example is the absurd situation with Screen Rant’s coverage of Black Myth: Wukong. The writer, who criticized the game for lacking diversity and inclusivity, has an interesting background—she previously worked for a PR consultancy firm. This entire debacle has been comical to witness, especially considering Screen Rant has editors who review and approve these articles, yet they still chose to publish this nonsense.
The writer, named Samar, focused her critique on the game’s supposed lack of representation and diversity. This is exactly what we’ve been pointing out for years: journalists and developers are increasingly ticking boxes to satisfy certain agendas, and sometimes, they’re even pressured into making changes. Had Game Science been a Western studio, they might have caved under this pressure. The mainstream media has been attempting to discredit this game for years, and now we discover that Samar has a glaring conflict of interest.
Initially, Screen Rant removed Samar’s name from the article, citing safety concerns. But let’s be real—they’re using “safety” as an excuse to shield her from criticism. If she wrote the article, she should stand by it. Sure, threats aren’t acceptable, but there’s been no evidence from Screen Rant that she received legitimate threats. They’re using “safety” to hide her from public scrutiny.
It seems like Screen Rant’s higher-ups told her to stay silent, probably hoping this would blow over, but that doesn’t seem likely. Her X account, which was created in 2023, is inactive. Interestingly, she was a PR intern at Splendid Communications, a firm focused on DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion). After this was exposed, her LinkedIn profile suddenly disappeared.
Splendid Communications describes itself as a company that aims to create work with a positive cultural and commercial impact, emphasizing diversity and inclusion. They clearly work across various industries, not just gaming, but their focus on DEI is unmistakable. This is exactly the type of agenda-driven mindset that drives someone like Samar to write articles like the one she did for Screen Rant.
Samar’s description on Screen Rant highlights her passion for cultural representation in media and her interest in games that prioritize diversity and inclusivity. While she’s entitled to her opinions, we’re equally entitled to criticize when her reviews focus more on her personal DEI checklist than the actual content of the game. Black Myth: Wukong is based on the 16th-century Chinese classic *Journey to the West*, not a story meant to cater to modern sensibilities. This seems to frustrate people like Samar.
People are now rightfully questioning Screen Rant for hiring someone with such an activist agenda. But honestly, this isn’t surprising—most of these outlets are filled with individuals like her. They don’t care about games or the gaming industry. Their focus is on pushing DEI initiatives into every project, even when it’s detrimental to the product’s quality.
Samar never seemed to have a genuine passion for gaming; her goal was clearly to inject her diversity narrative into Screen Rant’s content, which is likely why they hired her. Whether Screen Rant will address this or follow up on the article remains to be seen, but I doubt it—they’ve already removed her name and have been silent on the matter. However, gamers have long memories, and the internet won’t let this go. This isn’t likely to be the last time a journalist faces backlash for their misguided take on *Black Myth: Wukong*.
Screen Rant in HOT WATER After HIDING DEI Consultant Behind Black Myth Wukong Review!