The
Gamergate controversy stemmed from a harassment campaign conducted primarily through the use of the
hashtag #GamerGate. The controversy centered on issues of
sexism and
progressivism in video game culture.
Gamergate is used as a blanket term for the controversy as well as for the harassment campaign and actions of those participating in it.
Beginning in August 2014, a harassment campaign targeted several women in the
video game industry; notably game developers
Zoë Quinn and
Brianna Wu, as well as feminist media critic
Anita Sarkeesian. After Eron Gjoni, Quinn's former boyfriend, wrote a disparaging blog post about the developer, #gamergate hashtag users falsely accused Quinn of an unethical relationship with journalist Nathan Grayson. Harassment campaigns against Quinn and others included
doxing, threats of rape, and death threats.