The full message reads as follows:
“Our community is hurting. The systemic inequalities our community experiences are once again center stage. Call of Duty and Infinity Ward stand for equality and inclusion. We stand against the racism and injustice our Black community endures. Until change happens and Black Lives Matter, we will never truly be the community we strive to be.”
This message arrives via an in-game update just three days after Call of Duty’s publishers at Activision opted to delay Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone Season 4 as well as Season 7 of Call of Duty: Mobile. Both major updates still don’t have a proper release date, as creators aim to offer up time for marginalized voices to be heard. It’s worth noting that these Call of Duty delays were one of the first instances of game developers opting for respectful silence, just a few hours after Sony cancelled its highly anticipated PlayStation 5 reveal event with similar intentions.
Given Call of Duty’s immense popularity, it’s no secret amongst gamers that the franchise is known for having one of the most toxic communities of any series. Activision and Modern Warfare’s developers at Infinity Ward acknowledged this unfortunate reality via Twitter on Wednesday, saying “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 - and we are.”
Below those words, the developer outlined its five-step plan to better combat racism and hate speech in Modern Warfare and Warzone. These measures include adding more screening resources, more in-game reporting tools, increasing the number of bans per hour and handing out a greater number of permanent bans for repeat offenders of these policies.
The death of George Floyd and global protests in favor of curbing racial hatred have touched every corner of the world, and the games industry is no exception. Over the course of the past few days, many popular games including Call of Duty, Borderlands 3, The Division 2 and ARK: Survival Evolved have all delayed important updates and reveals to allow messages of injustice to be heard. With that in mind, it makes sense for the franchise that birthed the modern FPS to be especially clear in its response.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is available now on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
What do you think of the new Black Lives Matter support message in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare? Has Activision done enough to address racism in the game’s online community? Tell us in the comments section!
