The Games and Online Harassment Hotline, brainchild of Feminist Frequency executive director Anita Sarkeesian, officially launched this week to help gamers, developers, and other online individuals dealing with toxic environments in gaming or the wider online community. Unfortunately, abuse and harassment have long been apart of virtual landscapes, but Sarkeesian and her team are releasing this tool in a very relevant moment.

Waves of harassment and accounts of abuse in the gaming industry have been breaking in the headlines these last few months. Ubisoft, responsible for incredibly popular franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry, has come under scrutiny after a rash of allegations were leveled against some of its highest level executives for internal abuse and sexual misconduct. Just this week, details emerged that Blizzard employees may be struggling financially while their CEO makes millions. Not only focused on behind closed doors issues in the industry, the new hotline could also address issues of toxic fans verbally attacking creators like the developers of Ooblets, who received threats back when they announced their exclusivity deal with the Epic Games Store.

Related: Ubisoft Ousts Multiple Executives In Attempt To Curb Abusive Culture

The Games and Online Harassment Hotline is meant to be a resource for players and developers alike, according to Anita Sarkeesian in a July Feminist Frequency blog post, where she explained that the hotline is a "free, confidential, emotional support resource for people who make and play games." As for a quick overview of how the hotline works, those seeking help will be able to text SUPPORT to 23368 Monday through Friday from anywhere in the United States. From there, they can expect a reply from one of the hotline's representatives anytime between 4 pm and 7pm Pacific time. Sarkeesian also emphasized that anyone with issues ranging from to depression to burnout are welcome.

Anita Sarkeesian Photo (Gamesindustry.biz)

No stranger to video game activism or online abuse, Sarkeesian earned an Ambassador Award during the Game Developers Choice Awards in 2014, largely for her work on a video series entitled Tropes Vs. Women in Video Games. The Kickstarter for that series launched back in 2012, and both the project and its creator were subjected to extreme and coordinated harassment by what later became known as the "Gamergate" conspiracy movement.

Her own personal experiences during that time, or even just her experiences as a woman in the game industry, may have inspired the hotline, or at least revealed the need for something like it. However, the scope of this tool reaches out further than supporting just one group or targeting only one type of harassment. Gamers or creators can reach out for help no matter the issue, and this kind of broad support is very important in the gaming community in this moment, having hit a lot of bumps recently on its path to becoming a better, more inclusive space.

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Source: Games and Online Harassment HotlineFeminist Frequency