Lollipop Chainsaw was revived less than twenty-four hours ago, and has already landed itself deep into hot water. The game was always lauded for being unabashedly irreverent, so perhaps this turn for the worst could have been predicted. Regardless, it’s unfortunate to see the announcement of a new IP become so quickly overshadowed by the Lollipop Chainsaw developer’s anti-DEI statement.
The statement in question came straight from the mouth of Nada Holdings, one half of the partnership that intends on resurrecting Lollipop Chainsaw. In fact, it was contained within the original blog post that announced Nada Holdings was joining with Dragami Games to work on two upcoming projects. With this in mind, the anti-DEI statement seems even more out of left field.
Lollipop Chainsaw Developer Hijacks Game and Anime Announcement with Seemingly-Random Anti-DEI Sentiment
Nada Holdings’ post does not list a specific writer, so it is very possible to believe the statement may have been hijacked by someone with a political agenda. Until such time where this is stated to be the case, the assumption is that the anti-DEI sentiment is the official position of the new Lollipop Chainsaw projects, and the teams behind them.
The exact words used by Nada Holdings were as follows:
“The development process will prioritize staying true to the distinctive tone and spirit of the original work, without imposing excessive creative restrictions in the name of DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion).”
One could almost respect the intent on staying true to what made the original special. However, naming diversity as somehow contrary to that completely muddles the message. Backlash online has been swift and frankly, predictable, which almost makes this event more confusing than it is upsetting.
It’s unclear why developers would seek to inject a political comment into such an announcement at all, but it is doubly confusing given the specific context of the situation. Diversity programs have only grown in popularity since the Trump administration cracked down on them. If anything, developers would be incentivized to support DEI, not speak out against it.
New Lollipop Chainsaw Seems to Be Missing the Greatest Driving Force Behind the Original
Such a statement reads as out of touch at best. At worst, it is an intentional appeal to the most hateful side of the gaming community, which developers were typically quick to rebuke. This announcement could hail a changing tide in developer sentiments, but has so far only drawn attention to the potential flaws of the upcoming Lollipop Chainsaw revival.
For example, Suda51 is oft-considered the primary artistic voice behind Lollipop Chainsaw. With other acclaimed projects like No More Heroes under his belt, it’s fair to call Suda one of the premier auteurs of game design in general. However, Suda seems completely absent from the so-called Lollipop Chainsaw revival.
Suda isn’t the only one though, as Lollipop Chainsaw happens to be missing its other main voice as well. That voice is none other than James Gunn, who has since gone on to become the CEO of DC Studios. This role has understandably kept Gunn pretty busy, so it’s not as if fans exactly expected him to clear out his schedule. However, it’s simply noteworthy that Nada Holdings and Dragami Games seem intent on reviving Lollipop Chainsaw without any of the creative vision that sparked its cult following in the first place.
