“We made a very difficult decision”: Australian indie showcase Freeplay reject antisemitism claims after delisting a Jewish sponsor who was allegedly accused of being a “zionist”

Freeplay, the organisers of Australian independent games showcase Parallels, refunded and removed a sponsorship from Wren Brier, creative director of Witch Beam, after an unnamed speaker objected to her involvement. Brier says the speaker called her a “zionist” and that organisers acted without checking the accusation; she describes the decision as discrimination and says she will no longer support Freeplay.

The dispute followed a Jewish publication’s article that included Brier’s game, Unpacking, in a round-up of Israeli and Jewish-made games. Brier, who is Jewish, was born in Israel and moved to Australia at 18; she says she does not identify as a Zionist and was unaware of the article. Freeplay said her presence had created an “untenable environment” for speakers, while organisers have rejected claims of prejudice and said they received violent threats. A Freeplay board member reportedly resigned, and developers including Rami Ismail publicly supported Brier.