Report: Valve's corporate structure allegedly led to poor BLM response

gamedeveloper.com:

People Make Games published a new video digging into Valve, and more specifically the Portal developer's workplace culture. 

Valve has prided itself on being "boss-free since 1996," and People Makes Games' video goes into how the studio's many shortcomings, particularly when it comes to race. 

Following the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020, employees reportedly wanted the developer to make a statement as other game studios were doing so. Valve ultimately said nothing, as senior staff allegedly stood their ground against the employees that wanted the developer to make a statement.

"That's how Valve rolls," said another source. "They don't feel like they have to say anything, whether it's a trend or a moral compass."

In the end, Valve allegedly elected to give every employee $10,000 to donate to a charity of their choosing. It would also sponsor 2020's Game Devs of Color Expo after numerous developers pulled their games from Steam due to Valve's silence.

However, it was Game Devs of Color organizer Shawn Alexander Allen that announced the news. Valve itself didn't do much to highlight the event.

Sources also told People Make Games of Valve's general diversity problem, as it's mostly made up of white men. One anonymous source said the studio's contractors are somewhat diverse, but things get "more white and more male" higher up the chain. Exceptions are made for HR and finance, which are made up mainly of women.

The alleged lack of diversity is further reflected in the studio's alleged inability to hire junior staff, where diverse hires such as women and people of color typically start in the industry. 

Attempts were reportedly made at Valve in past years to rectify the matter, and included