Xbox, Twitch, Blizzard, Riot and more form Fair Play Alliance to combat toxic players
"We envision a world where games are free of harassment, discrimination and abuse"
Some of the industry's leading publishers, platform holders and tech providers have teamed up to improve efforts on dealing with abusive player behaviour in multiplayer games.
The Fair Play Alliance announced itself during GDC in San Francisco this week, with an all-day summit discussing how developers can create and maintain a welcoming atmosphere in their online games.
There are more than 30 companies already signed up to take part in the Alliance's combined efforts, including: Blizzard, CCP, Corillian, Discord, Epic, Flaregames, Huuuge Games, Intel, Kabam, Kefir, Ker-Chunk Games, Mixer, Owlchemy Labs, Playrix, Radial Games, Riot Games, Roblox Corp, Rovio, Space Ape Games, Spirit AI, Supercell, Two Hat, Twitch, Unity and Xbox.
On the official website, the group declared its mission statement: "We provide an open forum for the games industry to collaborate on research and best practices that encourage fair play and healthy communities in online gaming. We envision a world where games are free of harassment, discrimination, and abuse, and where players can express themselves through play."
It's no secret why the creator of such an alliance is necessary. Countless games firms struggle to keep up with the abusive and toxic behaviour spreading through their multiplayer communities.
Perhaps most famously, Blizzard has spoken out about the actions required to moderate the Overwatch userbase, with more than 480,000 players dealt with over the course of 18 months. Efforts to reduce toxicity among players became so extensive that director Jeff Kaplan revealed it was slowing progress on the game's ongoing development.
Earlier this year, Kaplan reported that Blizzard had gained some ground in this fight and other firms are starting for feel more optimistic. Twitch co-founder Kevin Lin told us last year that he saw "a glimmer of hope" in the battle against toxic behaviour, but no doubt both firms hope this new Alliance will accelerate matters.