Sweet Baby Inc.

Founding and corporate philosophy

Sweet Baby Inc. was established in Montreal in 2018 by Kim Belair, a former Ubisoft scriptwriter who became the company's chief executive officer, and David Bédard, a former Ubisoft product manager who assumed the role of chief operating officer. Belair founded the company with the explicit goal of promoting the advancement of women and other marginalized groups within the video game industry. The company's core service involves consulting on video game narratives during development, with a focus on integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. Its philosophy extends beyond simple character representation to ensuring that portrayals are respectful, contextually appropriate, and contribute to high-quality storytelling. To achieve this, Sweet Baby often facilitates consultations between game developers and cultural representatives from the specific ethnic or demographic groups being depicted in a game. The company also advocates for fair practices within development teams, including consistent pay, proper training, and appropriate credits for all contributors. Belair has emphasized that the studio aims to engage with projects early in the development cycle to have the greatest positive impact and to avoid the need for costly revisions to completed work.

Early projects and narrative consultancy work

Sweet Baby's early work included involvement in the transmedia project Unknown 9, where from 2018, Bédard served as brand content manager and Belair as story architect, initially as employees of Reflector Entertainment and later through their own studio. A significant early consultancy role was on Sony Santa Monica's God of War Ragnarök, where the studio focused on the development of the character Angrboda, aiming to make her more relatable to Black audiences while remaining faithful to the game's Norse mythological setting. In 2020, the studio joined the development team for Goodbye Volcano High and subsequently led the narrative team after the project underwent a reboot in 2021. The year 2022 saw the studio develop its own title, Lost Your Marbles, for the Playdate handheld console, while also forming two teams to assist with two other Playdate games, Recommendation Dog and Reel Steel, over a six-month period. Bédard later reflected that managing two simultaneous projects with different schedules was overly ambitious for the studio at that time. Sweet Baby also provided narrative support for Afterlove EP following the death of its writer and designer, Mohammad Fahmi, in 2022, having been in discussions with him prior to his passing.

The studio's consultancy expanded to several major AAA titles. Kim Belair worked directly with Remedy Entertainment to refine the background and story arc for Saga Anderson, the co-protagonist of Alan Wake 2. The studio collaborated with A44 Games on developing Nor Vanek, the protagonist of Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn. For Rocksteady Studios' Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Sweet Baby was brought on late in development to write audio logs, non-player character dialogue, and in-game advertisements. A substantial long-term engagement was with Insomniac Games on Marvel's Spider-Man 2, where the studio provided narrative work for approximately three years, contributing to several levels and character arcs beyond simple cosmetic additions.

Online backlash and harassment campaign

In October 2023, Sweet Baby Inc. became the target of coordinated online criticism originating on web forums like Kiwi Farms, where a user framed its involvement with Alan Wake 2 as a major scandal. This sentiment spread to other platforms including 4chan and the Reddit community r/KotakuInAction. The harassment intensified significantly in January 2024 when a Brazilian Steam user created a curator group called "Sweet Baby Inc detected," which listed games the studio had worked on and encouraged players to avoid them, accusing the studio of promoting a "woke agenda." The group gained widespread attention in February after a Sweet Baby employee asked others to report it for violating Steam's code of conduct. By April 2024, the curator group had amassed over 355,000 followers, and an associated Discord server had thousands of members. Both platforms conducted purges of user-generated content after Steam and Discord staff contacted moderators regarding violations of terms of service, as much of the content bordered on hate speech. Belair stated that Sweet Baby itself did not contact Valve, Steam's owner, about the group.

A series of conspiracy theories proliferated alongside the harassment campaign. These included unfounded claims that Sweet Baby was controlled by investment firms like BlackRock or Vanguard for ESG purposes, that it forced Remedy Entertainment to make Saga Anderson a Black character, and that it was responsible for commercial failures like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and for industry-wide layoffs. Journalists and scholars characterized these as baseless theories, often constructed from isolated statements by Sweet Baby employees taken out of context. The narrative proved compelling online, with YouTube videos about the backlash collectively receiving millions of views. In response, Belair clarified that the studio's primary goal is to improve game narratives broadly, not solely to insert diversity, and noted misconceptions about their work, such as the belief they only added pride flags to Spider-Man 2 when their involvement was deep and multi-year.

Employees of Sweet Baby, as well as journalists covering the story and developers who publicly supported the studio, faced direct harassment and attempted doxing. High-profile social media accounts, including those of Elon Musk, Matt Walsh, and Libs of TikTok, drew further attention to the company. Several commentators drew parallels between the campaign and the earlier Gamergate controversy, with TheGamer's Stacey Henley describing it as a new dogwhistle for rejecting progressive ideas. Academics analyzing the associated Discord server described it as an incubator for misogyny, similar to online manosphere communities. Despite the harassment, Sweet Baby continued its operations normally, with Bédard noting the industry had grown accustomed to such controversies since Gamergate. Partners like Insomniac Games offered advice based on their own experiences with online backlash, while other industry figures like Rami Ismail and Steve Saylor voiced public support. Journalists and academics urged other game studios to defend Sweet Baby publicly to halt false accusations and called on platforms like Steam and Discord to clarify their policies to prevent similar harassment incidents.

Corporate structure and operations

As of April 2024, Sweet Baby Inc. employs 16 people, operating as a compact but influential narrative consultancy. The company is led by its two founders, with Kim Belair serving as the chief executive officer and David Bédard as the chief operating officer. The studio's business model is based on providing external narrative development services to video game publishers and developers, rather than developing and publishing its own intellectual property. It can be brought into a project at any stage of development, though the company prefers early involvement to maximize its impact on the narrative and character development. The studio's work encompasses a range of narrative tasks, including scriptwriting, character arc development, dialogue polish, and cultural consultation. A key part of its service involves connecting development teams with consultants from specific cultural backgrounds to ensure authentic and respectful representation. The company also engages in advocacy within the industry, promoting equitable hiring, pay, and crediting practices for marginalized developers. Its base in Montreal, a major global hub for game development, provides access to a deep talent pool and numerous established studio partners.

Selected notable projects

Sweet Baby Inc. has contributed to a diverse portfolio of video game projects across different genres and scales. Its work ranges from indie titles to blockbuster AAA releases, demonstrating the breadth of its narrative consultancy services. The studio's involvement in these projects typically focuses on enhancing character depth, ensuring cultural authenticity, and strengthening overall narrative cohesion, rather than on fundamental game design or mechanics. The following list highlights some of the studio's key involvements, which include contributions to major releases and smaller independent games.

• Unknown 9 (2018-): Bédard and Belair worked as brand content manager and story architect, respectively, on this transmedia project.
• God of War Ragnarök (2022): Consulted on narrative and character development, specifically for the character Angrboda.
• Goodbye Volcano High (2023): Joined the project in 2020 and led the narrative team after a 2021 reboot.
• Lost Your Marbles (2022): Developed this original title for the Playdate handheld console.
• Alan Wake 2 (2023): CEO Kim Belair assisted Remedy Entertainment in refining the story and background of protagonist Saga Anderson.
• Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (2023): Provided narrative work, including level and character arc development, over approximately three years.
• Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (2024): Joined late in development to write audio logs, NPC dialogue, and in-game ads.
• Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn (2024): Collaborated with A44 Games on developing protagonist Nor Vanek.

This portfolio illustrates the company's role in supporting narrative development across a wide spectrum of the video game industry. It has developed a game for the Playdate handheld console and consulted on large-scale cinematic adventures. The variety of projects includes indie games and major studio titles. This indicates that developers value the studio's specific expertise in character writing and cultural consultation. The studio's work is sought regardless of a game's budget or genre.

Impact and industry context

Sweet Baby Inc. operates at the intersection of two significant trends in the modern video game industry: the increasing importance of sophisticated, cinematic storytelling and the growing demand for diverse and inclusive representation. The company's very existence and its stated mission reflect a professionalization of narrative and cultural consultancy within game development, a field that has historically often lacked such specialized roles. By offering these services externally, Sweet Baby allows studios that may not have in-house expertise to access guidance on sensitive or complex narrative and representation issues. This model has proven attractive to both large publishers seeking to broaden the appeal of their blockbuster titles and smaller indie developers aiming for authentic storytelling. The backlash against the studio, while harmful, also indicates the heightened cultural scrutiny that major entertainment products now face and the polarized debates surrounding identity and representation in media. Within the industry, the studio's continued partnerships with major developers like Insomniac and Remedy indicate a professional recognition of the value of its services, separate from online controversies. The company's experience also highlights the ongoing challenges faced by individuals and firms advocating for progressive change within the technology and entertainment sectors, where online harassment remains a persistent threat. As the games industry continues to globalize and audiences become more diverse, the demand for the kind of narrative and cultural consultancy Sweet Baby provides is likely to persist and potentially grow, shaping how stories are told in interactive media.

Questions about Sweet Baby Inc.

What is Sweet Baby Inc. and what does it do?

Sweet Baby Inc. is a Canadian narrative development and consultation studio based in Montreal. It consults on video game narratives during development to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion within game narratives and studios. The company's stated goal is to ensure characters from different demographic groups are portrayed respectfully and written for quality scenarios. It organizes developer consultations with representatives of different ethnic groups and cultures when creating characters from these same cultures.

Who founded Sweet Baby Inc.?

Sweet Baby Inc. was founded in Montreal in 2018 by former Ubisoft developers. The founders are scriptwriter Kim Belair and product manager David Bédard. Belair became Sweet Baby's chief executive officer and Bédard the chief operating officer. Belair said that she founded the company to promote the advancement of women and marginalized groups in the video game industry.

What major games has Sweet Baby Inc. worked on?

Sweet Baby has consulted with several developers and games. Notable projects include God of War Ragnarök, where it focused on making the character Angrboda more relatable. It assisted Remedy Entertainment with the protagonist Saga Anderson in Alan Wake 2. The studio was involved in writing the script for Marvel's Spider-Man 2. It also joined the production of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League late in its development to write audio logs and dialogue.

Why did Sweet Baby Inc. face online backlash?

Beginning in late 2023, the studio became the target of an online harassment campaign originating on forums like Kiwi Farms and 4chan. A Steam curator group called "Sweet Baby Inc detected" encouraged players to boycott its games, accusing it of pushing a "woke agenda. The campaign spread conspiracy theories falsely claiming the studio forced narrative changes, was responsible for game failures, and was controlled by large investment firms. By April 2024, the Steam group had over 355,000 followers.

How did Sweet Baby Inc. and the industry respond to the harassment?

Sweet Baby continued its operations despite the harassment. Employees and supporters faced doxing attempts. Industry partners like Insomniac Games offered advice based on their own experiences with online backlash, while figures like Rami Ismail publicly supported the studio. Journalists and academics urged other partners to defend Sweet Baby publicly and called on platforms like Steam and Discord to enforce policies to curb harassment. The studio's leadership responded by clarifying the depth and nature of their narrative work.

How many people work at Sweet Baby Inc.?

As of April 2024, Sweet Baby Inc. had 16 employees. The Canadian narrative development and consultation studio is based in Montreal and was founded in 2018 by former Ubisoft developers, including scriptwriter Kim Belair and product manager David Bédard. The company consults on video game narratives to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. Its team size reflects its involvement in multiple projects, such as forming two teams of around twelve people to assist with Playdate console games in 2022. The studio continues to operate with this core team while facing online backlash and harassment that began in late 2023.

Sources and further reading

• Sweet Baby Inc. (Wikipedia)
• Sweet Baby Inc. detected: What actually happened and ... (theshortcut.com)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-18.