'Anthem' Reviewer Claims Negative Review Got Him Blacklisted, EA Says Video Was Removed Due to Disclosure Failure

Earlier today we reported a story about a YouTuber that claimed he was blacklisted by EA over negative Anthem critique. In our coverage, we were careful to keep all accusations as alleged as we dug a bit deeper into the story. According to the publisher, his video wasn't taken down over negative critique but instead for failure to comply with the non-disclosure agreement - a NDA.

In response to a fan asking why YouTuber 'Gggmanlives' no longer had the original Anthem review up, he responded that he was "blacklisted by EA" and had to delete it. Following this interactions, several major media outlets ran the story that he was banned over giving a negative review - many claiming it as fact - but it turns out that might not be the case at all.

According to GameDaily.biz, EA says that the video was put into the spotlight due to not adhering to standards laid down prior to the game's launch. According to an EA spokesperson, Gggmanlives failed to comply with certain guidelines listed within his content as part of an influencer program he is affiliated with.

"Our GameChangers program is not designed to pay for review content," said the spokesperson to the site. "We don't believe in that. In this case, the conditions for disclosure for this specific video were not met – which is something we adhere very strictly to – so we asked for it to be taken down and corrected. We've not asked for the content of the video to be changed, or "blacklisted" the creator."

As stated, content creators are not paid for the videos they post, though they will sometimes be invited to events at the publisher's expense for certain releases. In exchange for event invites and travel compensation, content creators are required to include "audible and written descriptions" alongside a clearly stated watermark on the content shared.

In the case of this video, he did not comply with the requirements for the video, making the takedown about regulations and not the nature of his review.

"If a Game Changer posts a negative review or content about the company or one of our games that is honest and constructive – they will have our thanks and full support," states the GameChangers FAQ. "We demand that our Game Changers act with honesty with us, with our dev teams, and with the community. Sometimes this can make things uncomfortable! EA is committed to being player first and earning the trust of our community. We make mistakes and get things wrong all the time. For our teams to improve and get better, we need our Game Changers to keep it real."

The program also boasts that creators have complete control over the content they create as long as the watermarks is clearly seen and the audible and descriptions are noted. In fact, EA isn't involved with the nature of the content at all. According to the website, "EA does not approve Game Changer content, opinions, or creative choices. EA does monitor all Game Changer content to ensure compliance with our disclosure policy, which is primarily the Presented by EA Game Changers watermark, with included audible and written descriptions. Game Changers are generally not paid for their content. Though, some will receive small stipends to cover minor expenses when attending official EA sponsored events requiring travel like EA Play and Gamescom. We may also provide pre-release access to our games. All EA Game Changer program content requires community disclosure."

If a creator is contacted about failure to comply, it is up to that creator to make the necessary changes to what they created.