In an effort to curb its toxic community, Call of Duty is making a lot of effort to combat toxicity and dispel racism, something that has been deeply rooted in the franchise's player base for many years. During the Xbox 360-era of Call of Duty, many game modes forced players into game chat where they'd hear everything from rampant misogyny to outright bullying of other players. Some see it as the franchise's peak, suggesting that's what made those Call of Duty games so good, but Activision doesn't seem content with keeping that reputation.
The franchise's latest efforts to combat the toxicity come hot off the heels of a Call of Duty actor being fired for hateful comments toward other members of the community. The actor, Jeff Leach, played the iconic role of Ghost and was expected to appear in the Modern Warfare sequel in a substantial role, but it's likely he will be replaced. The actor has since apologized for his behavior, but Activision has already severed ties.
This recent zero-tolerance policy from the publisher will continue. The Call of Duty website noted that it has banned over 350,000 players for racist names and toxic behavior, added filters to catch offensive names and in-game text, and much more. More additions will be coming as well to help efficiently keep Call of Duty fun and safe for its community. On top of general toxicity, 500k Call of Duty players were banned as a result of a heavy crackdown on cheaters. Activision promised to do more to maintain a healthy community.
"We know we have a long way to go to reach our goals. This is just the start. Addressing this is an ongoing commitment that we will not waiver from. We look forward to making progress on this front and coming together with you to share in the fun and joy of playing together."
Whether or not Activision can successfully rehabilitate the Call of Duty community remains to be seen. It seems Activision had a wake-up call after the rise in BLM protests last summer. Last year, Call of Duty added BLM loading screens and Activision made a promise to try and be more effective in how it deals with racism.
It doesn't seem like that promise has gone unfulfilled either, it's clear that the company has been making continued efforts to tackle this issue in Call of Duty head-on. There will likely never be a day where the series reaches some sort of point where it's pure sunshine and rainbows, but it's nice that Activision doesn't see it as some lost cause either. Given its massive reach and Activision's reliance on the revenue the franchise generates, it's good to see such a major company trying to spread positivity and cultivate a better community.
Call of Duty: Warzone & Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold Ware are available on PS4, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Google Stadia, and PC.
Source: Call of Duty