I keep going back and forth between how I feel about the whole situation. On one hand, this is exactly what community managers are for. As developers, it’s not our responsibility (nor do we often have the experience) to interact directly with fans. It’s not really a surprise that some developers resorted to name-calling and poor judgment when they started to receive death threats.
But, on the other hand, you need to act in a professional manner when you’re representing your product.
One thing is certain though- this is just another example of how toxic gaming communities can be.