Wizard101is a lesser-known, family-friendly MMORPG, but it recently caused a stir because of a new controversy. Developed by KingsIsle Entertainment, the turn-based game was bombarded with harsh messages in the form of in-game announcements, seemingly from an unsatisfied employee. Most of the messages contained profanity, but some targeted KingsIsle Entertainment and its work culture.
The scandalous announcements forced the developer to shut down theMMORPG’s servers for about four hours to remedy the situation. This may seem like a somewhat humorous situation, especially for players who witnessed the announcements pop up. However, it could hint at something more serious involving the company and how it treats its employees.
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The Spicy Wizard101 Announcements
Most of the offending announcements contain curse words and crass terms, one even referencedWalter White ofBreaking Bad. Others, however, heavily suggested that the hacker was a current employee of KingsIsle Entertainment. One message read, “I fu— hate my job,” while another said, “email support@wizard101.com so I can get a raise.” However, the most damning announcement is likely this one: “kings isle is the worst company I have ever worked for.”
The developer was quick to get rid of the announcements, but the damage had been done. People were talking about the mysterious hijacker (just in time for othersclamoring about theGTA 6hacker), now dubbed “Server Dude.” For now, it’s unclear who Server Dude really is, but if they’re an employee, then they clearly aren’t happy with how KingsIsle Entertainment is treating them.
Server Dude Outing KingsIsle Entertainment
First, it should be said that Server Dude could be an employee of the company, but they might also be an outsider posing as one. There’s no information on their identity, so no one knows for sure. Regardless, it has caused more fans to look into KingsIsle Entertainment’s possibly shady practices.
Generally, theWizard101community doesn’t take too kindly to how KingsIsle Entertainment is handling the title. For the most part, players think that the developer has become toogreedy with its in-game transactions, and it shows onWizard101’s Steam reviews. One of the most common complaints concerns the sheer amount of cash players need to shell out simply to play the game. And the recent hacking fiasco suggests that things aren’t going too smoothly inside the company either – but why is that?
One of Server Dude’s announcements has to do with getting a raise, so perhaps the problem is with employee salaries. While there have been discussions on Reddit about how KingsIsle Entertainment tends to lowball new employees, there’s nothing definite, so it’s hard to conclude anything on the matter. The company’s Glassdoor reviews, however, support the claims about subpar pay. They also reveal a bit more about theseemingly toxic work culture.
Apart from the low salary issues, another common thread among the Glassdoor reviews is that the company tends to stifle the employees’ creativity. Perhaps this is why titles likeWizard101are becoming more like cash grabs than genuinely enjoyable games. One former employee even details how any intention to add quality-of-life improvements to the game will get them fired, while hinting that KingsIsle Entertainment is only interested in features that could boost profits. This was in 2020. The more recent reviews talk about thecompany’s inhumane work hours and even racismin the workforce.
It should be noted that Glassdoor reviews only make up a small fraction of the workforce (former or otherwise). Thesereviews also tend to be skewedtowards the negative side as former employees who’ve left on good terms are less likely to leave reviews at all. Still, it’s hard to deny that KingsIsle Entertainment has a less-than-stellar record for both its community and its workforce. It looks like it’s been that way for a long time, and all Server Dude did was put a spotlight on the problem.
