Sucker Punch, the studio known for the Ghost of Tsushima series, is facing controversy after the reported firing of senior staff character artist Drew Harrison. This decision follows Harrison’s online comments about the recent death of right-wing commentator Charlie Kirk, who was shot in Utah on September 10. The developer’s quick action has sparked a heated debate online. Some users support Harrison, while others have called for a boycott of the highly anticipated PlayStation 5 title.
Harrison’s posts on the social media platform Bluesky attracted immediate attention. On the day Kirk died, she shared a post saying, “I hope the shooter’s name is Mario so that Luigi knows his bro got his back,” a dark joke linking the Super Mario franchise to an unrelated murder suspect. The next day, as speculation about her job grew, she posted again, stating, “If standing up against fascism is what cost me my dream job I held for 10 years, I would do it again 100x stronger.” Her LinkedIn profile, which previously listed her as a senior staff character artist at Sucker Punch since 2016, no longer shows that position.
The fallout has been swift and divided. While some in the gaming community are outraged by Sucker Punch’s decision, with at least one person canceling their pre-order of Ghost of Yotei, others defend the studio’s right to respond to employee behavior. Despite the situation, Harrison seems to have no hard feelings toward her former colleagues, mentioning that the game is a project created by “200 people I love dearly.” In a sign of goodwill, she declined a GoFundMe, instead asking supporters to donate to charities like the American Civil Liberties Union or The Trevor Project.
As the controversy develops, Sucker Punch has not publicly commented on the issue. The studio is finalizing Ghost of Yotei, a prequel to Ghost of Tsushima, for its planned release on October 2. This single-player game is an important exclusive for the PlayStation 5 and is expected to be one of the biggest releases of the fall. Although the incident is unfortunate, it has not slowed the game’s development timeline, and the project is moving forward as planned.
