【Olympic athletes compete in eroticism】

Apparently Konami will bear a serious grudge if you quit the company.

The Olympic athletes compete in eroticismJapanese video game giant behind classics like Dance Dance Revolution and the Metal Gear franchise is in the news right now for apparently punishing employees within the industry for leaving the firm.

Konami's historicaly been pretty influential, even with their increasing irrelevance in the last few years, so being on its sh*tlist is pretty bad if you're trying to develop a career in video games.

SEE ALSO: Your favorite board games have some pretty wacky origin stories

Ex-Konami staffers told the Nikkei Asian Review: "If you leave the company, you cannot rely on Konami's name to find a job."

Mashable Top Stories Stay connected with the hottest stories of the day and the latest entertainment news. Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

The report goes on to say that Konami even goes so far as to file complaints with other gaming companies, if they hire former staff.

Video game designer Hideo Kojima. Credit: Getty Images

But most of all, not even famed game designer Hideo Kojima, who created the Metal Gearseries, was spared from Konami's vendetta.

After Kojima's 30-year relationship with Konami ended in a reportedly bitter breakup, his former employee went to various lengths to discredit him, including blocking him from accepting an award at The Game Awards 2015.

The Nikkei Asian Review report has got industry watchers cracking the best jokes:

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Mashablehas reached out to Konami for comment, and will update if we hear back.

---

Featured Video For You

---

Old-school arcade games have made a comeback at this underground gaming tournament

---

Topics Gaming

• Tech
• Shopping
• Life
• Social Good
• Science
• Digital Culture
• Games
• Entertainment

• Creator Playbook: How V Spehar balances their work as a creator and journalist
• Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has been crowned sexiest man alive
• 7 perfect 'Harry Potter' spin
• This surreal image of Saturn is not a painting
• OtterBox 15W MagSafe wireless charging stand: $14.95
• Donald Trump refuses to be a gracious winner
• Someone created @tinycarebot to make Twitter a healthier place for you
• The internet can go home now because dogs have officially won the mannequin challenge
• The rise of YouTube: 20 years of creators, culture, and content at VidCon
• Twitter responds to a dad's desperate plea to help his autistic son

• Kilimanjaro receives high
• The 'Only Murders in the Building' Season 2 finale, explained
• Netflix's gory 'School Tales the Series' has a grim episode about online shaming
• ‘5 Love Languages’ quiz on TikTok: What's the deal, and how can I try it?
• Wordle today: Here's the August 24 Wordle answer and hints
• Netflix's ad
• Instagram's testing a new feature that steps on BeReal's turf
• The 15 absolute best memes of 2018
• Do you need to watch 'Game of Thrones' before 'House of the Dragon'?
• 'Hello, I'm a professor in a movie' meme pokes fun at bad film tropes

• Explainer: What is Chip Binning?
• Edward Snowden rethinks that tweet about voting third party
• Watch this Cubs fan yank a tooth after losing a World Series bet
• Brilliant math teacher 'threatens' puppies to get through to students
• Jon Bernthal's Punisher will be back in 'Spider
• Conor McGregor fan gets sweet revenge after fighter crops her out of selfie
• Teacher posts inclusive note on door in wake of Trump's America
• Indiegogo's new platform lets anyone become a venture capitalist
• Mamelodi Sundowns vs. Borussia Dortmund 2025 livestream: Watch Club World Cup for free
• Watch this clever rugby dude pull off a stunt 15 years in the making

• VidCon 2025: 'Bachelor' alum discuss the LTK collaboration
• Bernie slams Trump during surprise speech at Dakota Access Pipeline protest
• Mattel honors Ashley Graham with her very own true
• Cane toad sausages are a thing that exists because Australia
• Moon phase today explained: What the moon will look like on June 22, 2025
• Brilliant math teacher 'threatens' puppies to get through to students
• Jimmy Fallon loves 'Gilmore Girls' and names his top four characters
• OnePlus 3T is a better version of the best sleeper Android phone of the year
• NBA livestream 2025: How to watch NBA for free
• The tax man knows if you're being dodgy about declaring Airbnb biz