It’s becoming painfully predictable at this point— another game 'reveals' its cast, the gaming community shares opinions, and of course... here comes the gaming press with the same tired, lazy defense...
Enter the latest offender (and newest member of KotakuDetected), Zarmena Khan from PlayStation Lifestyle, who published an article that... to put it mildly, is an absolute embarrassment to "journalism".
She'll fit right in with the rest of these activists posing.
It's worth mentioning that per her own LinkedIn, prior to working at PlayStation Lifestyle, she worked for the British government. Yeah... a 'gamer that loves games' alright...
Her piece on Ghost of Yotei’s voice actor Erika Ishii being "harassed by trolls" has all the makings of the worst take imaginable, pushing an agenda with zero concern for the actual facts. You know.. that really important thing that makes a story viable? ...Or at least... used to...
Let’s Start with the Basics: Where’s the Evidence?
Like all articles of this type, Khan offers up vague accusations of harassment and trolling but provides no receipts—none. Not a single screenshot, not one quote, just vague statements about how horrible gamers are because, once again, We've been daring to question the casting of an actor who’s openly a "queer, genderless activist."
If you’re going to call out a supposed wave of "trolls and harassment", shouldn’t you at least offer some proof? But nope... Khan sticks to the usual formula of slapping labels on anyone who doesn’t agree and pretending that the entire gaming community is toxic on the whole, alluding to generic talking points, and trying her very best to play the victim.
Blocking People Preemptively – How Convenient
Here’s where it gets even better: before I even knew who Zarmena Khan was, she’d already blocked me on Twitter. This is the kind of behavior that screams insecurity and damage control - as if she already knew her takes were so weak that they can’t handle the slightest bit of criticism or questioning.
It’s beyond laughable at this point to see this preemptive blocking and then write an article where the community is framed as toxic and hostile. It’s almost like the moment someone points out the obvious flaws in a narrative, they're erased and branded a troll. Echo chamber much, Zarmena?
No Facts, Just Agenda
What’s truly sad about this article is that it doesn’t care about the facts. It doesn’t address the actual concerns or feedback from gamers who, yes, might have some valid points about Ghost of Yotei’s direction, casting choices, and themes. But of course, that would require actually acknowledging that not everyone critical of the game has malicious intent.
In the midst of it all, trolls discovered that Ishii has no preferred pronouns, is a member of the LGBTQ community, and… wait of it… has a hairstyle not to their liking. Seeing this, Ishii started blocking people, which further frustrated them.
Instead, Khan resorts to labeling all criticism as "absurd complaints" or the usual "woke" bashing without ever explaining why fans are frustrated. Instead of engaging in good-faith discourse, Khan buries the conversation under a tired agenda. She references how Ishii started blocking people, which is true and well within her right... but again, only half the story here. The REASON people were upset is she was blanket blocking droves of people, and even blocking her supporters and those trying to defend her. It wasn't a great look. That's all people were pointing out.
She claims there's a video titled "The actress for Ghost of Tsushima sequel is actively blocking people" on YouTube, but doesn't link it (as to not give them attention), nor can I locate it... leaving me wondering... Does it even exist? Are we supposed to just believe her? What kind of backhanded 'reporting' even is this? WHERE ARE YOUR SOURCES!?
“Woke and unhinged,” claimed one grifter, who didn’t waste time producing a YouTube video on this all-important subject. “The actress for Ghost of Tsushima sequel is actively blocking people,” moaned another waste of space, who feels entitled to have access to Ishii’s social media. “That will work wonders for the game.”
The piece doesn’t mention that some fans feel the series is moving away from its roots or their concerns about forced narratives. No... again, none of that matters. According to Khan, if you don’t like the direction the game's taking, you’re just a waste of space who spends more time complaining than actually playing games. YOU, the gamer... are the problem. Not the woke agenda actively destroying media in attempt to push the message... The ideologies on the people. No. That's just some weirdo conspiracy theory, chud!
I mean... Who wants to guess if she's even ever played the original Ghost of Tsushima?
Embarrassing Damage Control from the Industry
Then there’s the laughable attempt at damage control from the so-called "professionals" in the industry. As I spoke about previously, she brings up Former Sony boss Shawn Layden telling fans to "make their own game or refrain from buying what they don’t want to play."
Because valid criticism about the portrayal of characters, the rewriting of historical contexts, or concerns about forced representation are all just meaningless drivel, right?
...Right.
Her gross condescending tone has unfortunately become the standard in gaming activism, where dissenting voices are either dismissed outright or lumped in with “trolls” and “grifters.”
And let’s not forget the narrative that if you criticize the actor’s casting, you're now somehow fixated on their hairstyle and pronouns. Khan conveniently ignores that this might not be about someone’s gender identity but rather about concerns over the direction of the story or character authenticity. The rush to weaponize identity politics to shield a game from critique is lazy "journalism" at its finest.
The Pathetic State of Modern Gaming Journalism
At the end of the day, what we have here is yet another example of just how far modern gaming journalism has fallen. Instead of offering a balanced view, it’s all about virtue-signaling and protecting the industry from any form of critical analysis. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The FACT is... this isn’t about the facts. This is about pushing an agenda, demonizing gamers, and pretending that all dissent comes from trolls and bigots.
Who knows? Maybe Ghost of Yotei will be great! But that wasn't the point - At all! The point is that people are free to share their opinions and even more importantly, concerns... especially based on the direction the industry has been headed as of late. Trying to silence us doesn't work anymore.
Go retreat to your echo chamber. You aren't welcome here, Zarmena.
Her article on Ghost of Yotei is one of the worst takes to come out of this tired narrative... Which is really saying something. It’s embarrassing, poorly researched (if at all), and does literally nothing but drive a deeper wedge between the industry and the people who actually play games. We deserve better than this thinly veiled hit piece, and it’s about time the industry stopped hiding behind identity politics and started engaging with the real feedback.
~Smash
Shout out to SSRetroGaming for the heads up.
