Women in Games, an organisation dedicated to promoting more gender diversity in gaming, says the industry is "going backwards". This comes after GDC attendees, particularly women, shared further accounts of abuse and drink spiking - an issue that seems to follow the event every year.

In a statement from Women in Games CEO, Marie-Claire Isaaman, the org says that "none of this is okay, none of this should be happening." Isaaman goes on to call on GDC and organisers at other events to "work with Women in Games so that we can help them make these events safe spaces for all."

Related: Report: The Game Industry's Relationship With Alcohol

"Few could have read the recent press reports coming out of GDC about abuse of women attending the event, without recoiling in horror," says Isaaman. She then lists some of the allegations coming out of GDC, including harassment on the show floor, and drink spiking at off-site events.

"We are going backwards as an industry," she continues. "When the day comes that a woman at a global games conference doesn’t have to wonder whether she will be safe when she has a business meeting, alone, with a man – that’s when our work will be done."

In a statement, GDC has previously told TheGamer that it "severely condemns" the alleged behaviour that took place while the event was running. They urged those affected to contact the police in the "hope the perpetrators will be found."

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This isn't the only issue the organisation is addressing. Isaaman also comments on the concerning uptick in complaints about sexist harassment in online games.

"Toxicity within gaming is on the rise and is particularly prevalent in female gamers’ experience," says Isaaman. "As a result, female gamers are often discouraged from playing the games they love.

"The experiences that girls and women encounter are often much darker and threatening. Sexist stereotypes and being aggressively quizzed about their gaming skills often lead to more violent verbal abuse and threats of rape."

Two terrorist players in Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

Isaaman also comments on the issue of women in the gaming industry seeing this online harassment extend into the real world. We've seen this in the streaming space in particular, with a World of Warcraft streamer being stalked by a cop who used to be one of her Twitch moderators. He has since pleaded guilty to the charges.

Fellow streamer Amouranth has also experienced this, previously revealing that she has to take huge security measures to protect her home from stalkers. One even approached and followed her around at TwitchCon, raising questions about the level of security at the event. Due to this abuse, Amouranth has said that she would be a VTuber if she had the opportunity to start her career all over again.

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