this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2026
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Mewgenics co-creator Edmund McMillen has discussed how he drew up the list of the personalities approached to provide the game's numerous cameos, saying that while he "understands we live in a time where a meow from someone who has different beliefs as you is scary and frustrating, confusing and controversial... it felt interesting, so I decided to explore it."

In an interview with RPS, following criticisms that the cameo cast included individuals perceived by some to have controversial views, McMillen said the game's meow roster represented people from across the ideological spectrum, including people — such as Ethan Klein — who had not publicly commented on his views of the Gaza conflicts at the time he was asked to contribute. "When we added most of the people on the list it was ages ago, like, Ethan was included a good four years back," McMillen explained.

"I wanted the game to feature a huge array of iconic voices I’ve been hearing echoing across the internet for most of my time making games. As some probably noticed, I was all over the place when it came to cameos and did my best to include and keep ones that clashed or kinda counterbalanced each other. The inclusion of Ethan and Hila [Klein] was counter balanced by iDubbbz and Anisa," he added, referring to two creators who have publicly supported Palestine.

"I made sure to contact both to make sure they were okay with the others' involvement so it didn’t feel like a weird gotcha on release," McMillen explained. "They were both very adult about it and said they had no issue with the other being added, and I really respected that, since I know they have been publicly feuding for a while now. It’s hard to explain without revealing aspects of the game people haven’t really experienced yet, but the inclusion of people with clashing ideologies felt appropriate."

McMillen concluded: "I understand we live in a time where a meow from someone who has different beliefs as you is scary and frustrating, confusing and controversial… but it felt interesting, so I decided to explore it. Also, I should probably point out that I don’t share the same opinions as, well, probably any of the people we included.

"If I only included people who share the same exact opinions as me, I’d be the only one meowing in the game. I included Chris, but also liquid Chris (those who know, know)... I didn’t [realize] Matan [Evan, an Israeli-American YouTuber] was controversial, I mean a lot of these people are characters doing bits."

Other notable inclusions on the list of vocal performers include Stranger Things star David Harbour and Supernatural's Felicia Day.

he is now posting about chris chan

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[–] AntiOutsideAktion@hexbear.net 9 points 9 hours ago

ALL THE GUFF I GOT FOR ASKING IF THIS GUY WAS A CHUD EARLIER

[–] RondoRevolution@hexbear.net 8 points 10 hours ago

That's not something I expected, what the fuck. Like just fucking take the L and remove the voices man, this sucks. I get that the game has been in development for a long time and some of the voices have been added long ago, but just remove them, why the fuck would anyone in their right mind support a game where there are two zionist pieces of shit voice acting?

[–] MarmiteLover123@hexbear.net 26 points 13 hours ago

The inclusion of Ethan and Hila [Klein] was counter balanced by iDubbbz and Anisa,"

Incredible bait for the chronically online, 10/10

[–] hello_hello@hexbear.net 7 points 10 hours ago

Is this another roguelike lmao this guy can only create binding of Isaac clones. Not surprised he has chud politics.

[–] SerialExperimentsGay@hexbear.net 27 points 14 hours ago

"This is totally insignificant and you get worked up over literally nothing, but it is also somehow at the same time something that is artistically interesting and worth exploring, this contradiction is totally not proof that i am talking out of my ass."

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 27 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago) (1 children)

Guess I will be pirating it shrug-outta-hecks

It's neither scary or confusing. I don't know if its even the other two adjectives. It's disappointing I suppose. I don't want to support people that disgust me and I don't want to hear their voiced and I don't want them to be part of popular culture. I'm not scared of confused, I'm just annoyed and disappointed.

[–] nfreak@lemmy.ml 8 points 10 hours ago

I bought it day 1 because I've always been a fan of his games but put it down as soon as this cast was made public. This shit is vile and doubling down on it with centrist bullshit is fucking ridiculous. It would've been so easy to say "hey most of these are from around 2015, sorry" and cut the nazis and rapists out of the cast.

Sunk too much time into it already to get a refund according to Steam though, even though they've absolutely made exceptions in the past when devs have pulled bait & switches like this. Tried twice and got the automatic canned response about playtime both times, great.

[–] BeanisBrain@hexbear.net 34 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

"I wanted the game to feature a huge array of iconic voices I’ve been hearing echoing across the internet for most of my time making games. As some probably noticed, I was all over the place when it came to cameos and did my best to include and keep ones that clashed or kinda counterbalanced each other. The inclusion of Ethan and Hila [Klein] was counter balanced by iDubbbz and Anisa," he added, referring to two creators who have publicly supported Palestine.

The wise man bowed his head solemnly and spoke

[–] la_tasalana_intissari_mata@hexbear.net 42 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

to balance out a literal IOF member who went on raids, we put the guy in a green suit who says "I'm gay"

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 21 points 16 hours ago

Look he said he was sorry about doing that, which makes him as equally bad as a coked up dad who gives his kids ringworms because he won't pick up dogshit from the animal he didn't potty train

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 17 points 16 hours ago

Should've been Hasan and some other youtuber if that was what he wanted to do. Idubbbz? Lmao.

I do understand the "get people from across my time on the internet" but then I would much rather have gone for people that aren't "known" like other newgrounds developers, or people that are forgotten - I don't know if he has cameos from Ray William Johnson or Nikahika or whatever, but that would make much more sense for what he describes.
And if you wanna go the edgy direction why not have people like boogie1488 or Shoenice? Something that's actually provocative.

[–] LeninWeave@hexbear.net 38 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (1 children)

"Listen if you're not mature enough to accept that hitler's supporters are just as valid as hitler's opponents then you're just not mature enough."

please shut up lmao

[–] DragonBallZinn@hexbear.net 8 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 10 hours ago)

And it’s funny how their side is always branded as totally perfect in this. Like how does no one see this?

Guess what, us leftists actually do silently put up with our ideas constantly belittled and scoffed at…because we fucking have to.

[–] Meltyheartlove@hexbear.net 22 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Mewgenics (Mewing + eugenics) sounds like a name like one of those looksmaxxing incel alt right chud types like Clavicular would come up with.

[–] ashestoashes@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

I'm bad at understanding tone, is this a joke? Because that's not what the title stands for.

[–] Meltyheartlove@hexbear.net 7 points 11 hours ago

Yes, I am joking.

[–] BodyBySisyphus@hexbear.net 20 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

"Look if you aren't cool enough to understand the difference between an a simple working relationship and an endorsement of someone's lifestyle, then you aren't cool enough to play my new game where the puppies are all voiced by Jeffrey Dahmer."

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 10 points 16 hours ago

That sounds rad as fuck, unlike this where you have an unrepentant wehrmacht-soldier and her cokehead husband meow

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[–] invo_rt@hexbear.net 32 points 21 hours ago (1 children)
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[–] mononoke@lemmy.sdf.org 14 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

It is interesting to see the responses here when the thread about this game from a few days ago was everyone convincing themselves McMillen was "a comrade"...

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 10 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

More like most people in that thread were saying he wasn't a chud

[–] mononoke@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 11 hours ago (1 children)

Well, glad to get that cleared up, then!

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 2 points 11 hours ago

no problemo

[–] ashestoashes@lemmygrad.ml 3 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Huh that's weird I actually don't remember a single person saying that.

[–] mononoke@lemmy.sdf.org 9 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago) (1 children)

Really? There's one right here. I wanted to say two but calling him "pro-labor" is not exactly the same as calling him a "comrade"...there is plenty of whitewashing going on in that thread. It was only three days ago. You don't remember it at all?

[–] Johnny_Arson@hexbear.net 5 points 10 hours ago

I'll own up to that one, that was based on the conversations I had with him years ago when we still spoke face to face. I still think he's not a chud at least and just jaded and carries a lot of baggage. He grew up in a pretty fucked up home which is reflected in his art and I think the fame has kinda cooked his brain a bit. I think what a lot of people are missing is that these are just meows sourced from a broad array of shitty internet personalities for free. Also people missing the part where he said "people should get more creative with their hatred" which I agree with. Just endlessly arguing about whether a bad person meowing in your weird meta-art game is not very productive and there are better ways of going after those people.

[–] Goblinmancer@hexbear.net 24 points 20 hours ago (2 children)

Apparently he deleted posts about chris chan just take the l and honestly delete and replace every meow with Northernlion meow.

[–] LaGG_3@hexbear.net 9 points 13 hours ago

What did he even have to say about her in 2026? I remember peaking into that a long time ago and it was super upsetting and not funny.

[–] Inui@hexbear.net 19 points 19 hours ago

Literally all he had to do. Delete the meows, say he wasn't aware of their views, and disavow. Despite what people say, people aren't always cancelled for their initial action, but for doubling down in a ridiculous way. All it takes is swift corrective action and a genuine, even short, apology.

[–] CrawlMarks@hexbear.net 14 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (2 children)

I think he should doubble down. Having objectively terrible people intentionally depicted in art is a different and intresting. I can't see any harm in it. Probably best would be an accesability option is to let people toggle voices they don't like.

[–] BanMeFromPosting@hexbear.net 17 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Doesn't sound like that was what he was going for. Having terrible people voice your art could be interesting (though I'd still find it tasteless) but it sounds more like he's going for "le internet" and just hiding behind bothsidesism.

[–] ashestoashes@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 12 hours ago

I mean, he had C Chan in the game too

[–] Le_Wokisme@hexbear.net 14 points 18 hours ago (4 children)

people made those george w bush remixes and they mostly weren't endorsements.

bit different if you're paying israeli propagandists for anything other than a bullet to shoot themselves

[–] Parzivus@hexbear.net 11 points 17 hours ago (2 children)

Could be wrong but I doubt he paid anyone to meow

[–] Johnny_Arson@hexbear.net 5 points 10 hours ago

He did not, I reached out to him to try to get some answers since I've known him for a long time, though we been out of touch for a long time now. I didn't get a response but I guess he did this interview since he was getting dogpiled about it. I'm not trying to defend him but in addition to not paying them a lot of these lines were also recorded way before these people became infamous chuds/zionists/whatever. He started working on this game like 10 years ago.

[–] Le_Wokisme@hexbear.net 8 points 16 hours ago

that makes it less bad i suppose

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[–] Llituro@hexbear.net 29 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

i have been contending that this is the most radically centrist game due to this

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