Maybe I'm just a cynic, but this seems very much part of the PR script for any controversy of the past 20 years or so.
Cause controversy
Get backlash
Say there were death threats in basklash
Paint opposition in bad light, claim to be the real victim and bask in all the feel good comments from people saying "it was controversial, but come on, death threats are not cool"
Conversation derailed, continue as planned
Seriously, go look at one of the comment threads on that other site. It's now all about how "deranged indie devs" are hurting honest hard working Unity employees. Maybe it was a real threat, maybe it wasn't, but they're sure as fuck going to milk it for all they can now.
But is it just me that's unaffected by such a script? I'm just like "Death threats? shrugs Fair enough." Unity threatened a lot of dev's livelihoods. What did they expect, for them all to just roll over and take it?
im super on the fuck unity train right now but like, real normal people work there that need employ and have families to support. I hope unity changes course due to public sentiment but i don't really think that death threats forcing an office closed are going to be the way to invite that change
Given current events, it seems very plausible to me they got at least one - but let’s not pretend it means the backlash is all wrong and we should start giving up all indie revenue to the great lord engine provider.
While I have no sympathy for the upper management behind this stupidity, I would like to remind people to ensure their fire is focused away from developers and other non-management staff. They generally have no say in these calls.
If you have the connections to pull their staff away into jobs at other companies, please do that instead. It may not feel like it, but it will do more long-term damage if you can extract their senior talent.