SHENZHEN, CHINA — Chinese company Tencent is facing a major PR crisis after video of a sexually suggestive game being played by employees was posted online on Jan. 12.
The footage was shot at an annual party hosted by Tencent's instant messaging application department. Two female employees were brought on stage and asked to drop to their knees in front of other male employees, whom were each holding closed water bottles between their legs. Spectators can be heard off camera cheering the girls on while they tried to unscrew the bottle caps with their mouths, reported by China’s Sina news.
The video has sparked widespread public backlash, with commenters expressing their shock and disgust at the blatant sexism displayed through the game.
Tencent later released a statement apologizing for the incident, adding that employees responsible for the game have been given “demerits” on their employee records. However, it isn’t clear whether this will result in any actual punishment.