If Ubisoft has anything to say about it, cyberbullies will be forced to reconsider their behavior and learn good manners.
On the heels of its Zero Harm In Comms campaign, in which Ubisoft and Riot collect data to help keep post-game discussions clean, Ubisoft has announced a dedicated anti-bullying course.
The Fair Play program is "designed to benefit players of all genres, from multiplayer FPS to single-player RPGs," says Ubisoft writer Brittany Spurlin in the announcement post (opens in a new tab).
"Gamers may understand cheating as disruptive behavior," adds director of player safety Jeremy Marchadier. "But speaking offensively in chat, harassing other players, or even not following a team leader during competitive play are also harmful behaviors." the course is designed to guide you through all kinds of toxic and disruptive behaviors.
By helping gamers spot their own potentially toxic habits, Ubisoft is doing its part to help keep online gaming a safe place for everyone.
check yourself
As many game companies and studios tackle toxic gamer culture this year, "it's important to deal with the emotional aspect in gaming," says Marchadier, who is at the heart of many nasty words from trolls on Internet.
"Mods are meant to help players understand situations that cause negative behaviors," Spurlin writes. "the behaviors themselves and the impact they have on other players."
Taught through a series of videos and text-on-screen quizzes, the Fair Play program is "designed to teach by example rather than give an exact definition of toxic behavior without any nuance."
It will also include interviews with professional esports players and coaches, each sharing their own experiences of bullying online to show how fostering a positive atmosphere benefits everyone, not just the people you're currently playing against.
give the example
Trolls and stalkers are a persistent and serious problem when it comes to online gaming. The pressure to not look like a "newbie" still prevents many from taking advantage of online gaming opportunities, even with the series of Xbox Live account bans or PS5's voice chat reporting option.
Ubisoft is making significant progress in promoting healthy interactions, but initiatives like the Fair Play program would go much further if they were more widely implemented. The platform arrived just in time for this year's PlayStation tournaments; maybe players take a little time to think before taking on a challenge.