As the Black Lives Matter movement continues to grow from strength to strength, many gaming companies are stepping forward to support those fighting for justice and equality.
While many companies have pledged to donate to Black Lives Matter charities and other related organisations, Infinity Ward has decided to implement new ways to report racism and abuse in its Call of Duty games.
In a statement shared across social media, Infinity Ward said the following: “There is no place for racist content in our game. This is an effort we began with launch and we need to do a better job. We’re issuing thousands of daily bans of racist and hate-oriented names. But we know we have to do more.”
The following changes are now coming to or have already been implemented in Call of Duty:
- Adding additional resources to monitor and ID racist content.
- Adding additional in-game reporting systems to increase the number of bans by hour.
- Adding filters and greater restrictions on name changes.
- Evaluating in-game improvements to make it easier to report offenses.
- Increasing permanent bans to root out repeat offenders.
Infinity Ward added: “We apologize to our players. This is our commitment to you, our fans, thank you.”
While many people argue that the gaming industry should not be involved in the current affairs which are sweeping the globe, it’s the sad truth that all media industries have an inherent relationship with – and a duty to support – equal rights for all.
For those who disagree with the Black Lives Matter movement, I invite you to consider the following tweet, shared by Sony.
We’re all working through a difficult time right now due to civil unrest and race protests. You can find out more about the Black Lives Matter movement, and donate to help the cause via the official BlackLivesMatter website here.
Featured Image Credit: Activision