Playtonic remove controversial YouTuber JonTron from Yooka-Laylee

Responding to recent controversies, UK developer Playtonic have removed the YouTube personality known as JonTron from the upcoming Yooka-Laylee.

JonTron, real name Jon Jafari, has found himself mired in controversy again after he tweeted questionable views, before then repeating these views on a livestream, spewing persistent but widely discredited far-right talking points about issues of nationalism, ethnicity and immigration.

These racist views have cost Jafari several YouTube subscribers, and a place in Yooka-Laylee, too.

Playtonic invited Jafari to voice a minor character in Yooka-Laylee back in February 2015, as he was a big fan of the game’s spiritual predecessor, Banjo-Kazooie. He’s currently in the finished game, but will be removed via a content update.

PlayTonic clarified the situation in a statement made to GamesIndustry.biz

“JonTron is a talented video presenter who we were initially, two years ago, happy to include as a voice contributor in our game,” they said. “However, in light of his recent personal viewpoints we have made the decision to remove JonTron’s inclusion in the game via a forthcoming content update.”

“We would like to make absolutely clear that we do not endorse or support JonTron’s personal viewpoints and that, as an external fan contributor, he does not represent Playtonic in any capacity,” they added. “Playtonic is a studio that celebrates diversity in all forms and strives to make games that everyone can enjoy. As such, we deeply regret any implied association that could make players feel anything but 100% comfortable in our game worlds, or distract from the incredible goodwill and love shown by our fans and Kickstarter backers.”