#SNAIL GAME FULL#

However, that proximity to Shi Hai brought Runyan closer to what he alleges was racial discrimination against the company's non-Chinese employees. He was given a promotion, to director of game development, and a pay increase. In February 2013, the president of Snail Games USA resigned - the company lost four presidents in five years - meaning that Runyan was effectively in charge of the entire company, reporting directly to Shi Hai.

#SNAIL GAME FULL#

However, with a full marketing plan recently completed and the Age of Wushu's launch scheduled for March 2013, Shi Hai's actions, 'threw the entire company into chaos.' Runyan was again asked to shoulder extra responsibilities. In December of the same year, Shi Hai terminated 'nearly all' of Snail Games USA's marketing staff in a bid to move operations back to China. In October 2012, the company's director of publishing resigned after a clash with Shi Hai, leaving Runyan to take on those responsibilities in addition to his own.

'Mr Runyan maintains that he was terminated because of his race (white), his national origin (US), his physical disability' L.A.

The document states that, 'working for Shi Hai was extraordinarily difficult as he was a volatile individual who would often make decisions based on raw emotions and snap judgements.' The suit alleges that examples of this rash behaviour were clear from the outset. Shi Hai, the Chinese founder and CEO of both Snail Games USA and its Chinese counterpart, Snail Games.Īccording to a court document passed to by Curt Holman, Runyan started work at Snail Games USA during the development of free-to-play MMO Age of Wushu. A former executive of Snail Games USA is seeking damages for unlawful dismissal and racial discrimination.ĭavid Runyan, who joined Snail Games USA as its director of game operations in July 2012, has filed a lawsuit with the Los Angeles County Superior Court, accusing his former employer of numerous breaches of the Fair Housing and Employment Act.

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