David Jaffe, the veteran designer behind the original God of War and Twisted Metal, has sparked a significant industry debate by labeling certain character designs in Pearl Abyss’s new action-RPG, Crimson Desert, as anti-Semitic. Jaffe specifically highlighted the depiction of the Goldleaf guild, a group of goblin merchants, as an example of harmful historical caricatures. Taking to social media, Jaffe pointed to a combination of physical traits and narrative context—including a mission titled “The Flames of Greed”—as evidence that the game inadvertently or otherwise leans into centuries-old tropes used to dehumanize Jewish people.
The crux of Jaffe’s criticism centers on the visual design of the goblins, which features prominent, crooked noses, paired with a singular focus on the accumulation of wealth. In his posts, Jaffe argued that the naming conventions and the “greedy” archetype are too closely aligned with propaganda found in 14th-century Europe and later used in Nazi-era publications like Der Stürmer. While Jaffe clarified that he is actually enjoying the gameplay of Crimson Desert, he insisted that the industry must be more cognisant of how these “concretized” cultural stereotypes are perpetuated in modern media.
Response to the allegations has been deeply polarized within the gaming community. Many players have dismissed the claims, arguing that the “greedy goblin” is a standard fantasy staple established by J.R.R. Tolkien and various tabletop RPGs. However, Jaffe—who identifies as culturally Jewish—reiterated in a subsequent livestream that his background makes him particularly sensitive to these visual cues. He drew parallels to previous controversies surrounding the Gringotts goblins in the Harry Potter franchise, suggesting that developers may be unaware of the historical weight behind the imagery they employ.
For Pearl Abyss, this marks another hurdle in the launch window of their ambitious title, which has already faced scrutiny regarding its use of generative AI. While Jaffe stated he does not support “canceling” the game and acknowledges the developer’s right to artistic expression, he maintained that the industry needs to “do better” once it is made aware of these harmful associations. As of now, the developer has not issued a formal response to the specific allegations regarding the Goldleaf guild or its character models.
