It all began last night, one of 2K’s hired PR firms – The Redner Group – tweeted that it was upset over the recent round of Duke Nukem Forever reviews. That would be fine, but this company took it a step further, attacking the integrity of journalists by stating that “we r reviewing who gets games next time and who doesn’t based on today’s venom.”

It’s one thing to restrict access – which unfortunately has been known to occur ‘behind the scenes’ when a review doesn’t go over well, but to publicly call out reviewers for publishing their honest thoughts about DNF is crossing the line. Jim Redner has since cordially apologized for the tweet, which he says was made “out of pure emotion.” However, in 2K’s eyes, the damage had already been done.

2K Games responded to the ordeal today, confirming that it has dropped The Redner Group as a partner. Here’s the official statement:

2K Games does not endorse or condone the comments made by @TheRednerGroup and confirm they no longer represent our products. We maintain a mutually respectful relationship with the press and will continue to do so. We don’t condone @TheRednerGroup‘s actions at all.

2K’s swift and principled stance is appreciated. Still, it’s a shame it had to come to this, especially over Duke Nukem Forever.

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