over the course of 2022. In addition, The Chartered Management Institute conducted a survey of 1,009 business managers in April 2023, which found that almost one in three had witnessed harassment or other inappropriate behaviour at work gatherings. It’s clear that the presence of alcohol can create a hostile environment at work events, but how is this reflected in the games industry? Safety is a huge factor at games events and there are ongoing concerns about the lack of safeguarding and accountability in this sector. A prominent example of this would be accounts from GDC 2023 attendees reporting several instances of drink spiking at the event. While you’ve likely heard of people’s drinks being spiked with tranquillisers such as benzodiazepines, it might shock you to learn that alcohol is actually the most common drug used to spike drinks. Drink-spiking may be one of the most harmful risk
factors of alcohol at games industry events, but it’s by no means the only one…. “I’ve been in this industry for 2 years professionally.
I’ve seen events where it’s been marketed as a straight- up party and others that have been presented as a way to share and expand knowledge and connections using food, drink, and a backdrop of music,” comments Jamie Naden, Senior QA Tester at Rocksteady Studios Ltd. “It doesn’t take a genius to guess which kind of event had people attending that ended up really drunk, saying or doing inappropriate things, and compromising themselves or others’ safety in one way or another.”
“Drink-spiking may be one of the most harmful risk factors of alcohol at games industry events, but it’s by no means the only one”
THE PRESSURE TO DRINK There are many reasons why someone might choose not to drink – religion, recovery, medical, personal safety, and more. So why is it so hard to avoid alcohol at games industry events? The answer likely has something to do with antiquated culture. It’s no secret that the games industry is a male-dominated space, with men making up to 80% of the industry’s workforce over the age of 36. A lot of individuals in positions of power started their careers during a time where the industry could have been referred to as a ‘boy’s club’, far removed from the attitudes and awareness we have today. An individual who wished to remain anonymous
recounts an incident at an industry event where they were feeling pressured to drink as the sole female in an all-male group. “The group I was with then got me more alcohol and was upset when I refused it.” A similar incident
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