The Video Game Industry Is Finally Getting Serious About Player Safety

In 2025 we will enter a new era of security by design for our digital playground.

Online games are a place where billions of people worldwide come together to play, socialize and peacefully However, they are also environments where harassment, hate speech, and violence and sexual exploitation often occur. Today, most online game players report being directly targeted or witnessing one or more of these actions A 2024 report was received Eighty-two percent of players reported being directly victimized and 88 percent reported witnessing some form of so-called “toxic” behavior. Sexual harassment and hate speech are very common, with more than 70 percent of game players saying they have witnessed these behaviors while gaming.

In the most extreme cases, players face violations of privacy and their right to life, for example, when their private personal information is maliciously shared online for the purpose of intimidation — so-called doxxing. As early as 2024, for example, a Organized hate campaigns The small narrative design studio was launched against Sweet Baby Inc. With their mentors believed to be pushing a “woo agenda” in the game, their employees received numerous rape and death threats.

There are many reasons why games are associated with hate and discrimination. But the most important factor is the lack of industry-wide innovation. For example, video games is Often the sidelines In Regulatory Conversations About Online Security. is proprietary information ownershipAnd (understandably) no company wants to be the first to speak publicly about online vulnerabilities and security challenges. Games are also, at the end of the day, businesses. Talking about one’s shortcomings may not be something that gains the support of shareholders.

However, in 2025, we will finally begin to see industry-wide efforts prioritizing security. Some of these changes will be due to government orders. While video games have long been left out of the regulatory conversation, they are getting attention with some new initiatives recently enacted. For example, the Digital Services Act The European Union requires gaming companies that operate there to submit a public-facing transparency report on online harm within their space and the effectiveness of their tools to combat them. For the first time, it will allow industry-wide insights into strategies and their effectiveness across the gaming ecosystem.

In 2025, we will also begin to see the impact of the game industry’s efforts at self-regulation. Over the past several years, there have been many trust and security initiatives led by the game industry from an ecosystem, industry-level approach. For example, in 2024 we saw its release Digital Enrichment Playbook From the Thriving in Games group, which provides educational material and step-by-step guidance for game developers on how to build more resilient communities and perspectives on trust and safety in games. It includes guidelines for content moderation and community management practices, as well as teamwork by design, trust by design, and building social behavior in gaming communities.

Last year saw another breakthrough with the partnership between Epic Games and The International Age Rating Coalition To create internationally recognized ratings for all user-generated content created for it Fortnite. Historically, player-generated content has not been rated, allowing users to make their best guess at age-appropriateness from the name, image and description of the experience. The integration of a rating system into user-generated content will allow players (and parents) to make more informed decisions about what and how they play. In 2025, other game makers will follow suit to support the ability of players (among billions of pieces) to make informed choices about what user-generated content is safe and appropriate for them to engage with.

To be clear, a safe community does not mean there are no risks. Hate, harassment and other forms of social harm will always exist online in some form or another. But in 2025, the video game industry will finally have more integrated security strategies to better protect players from social harm. As the world’s largest media sector, the video game industry is long overdue for this innovation and prioritization of player safety and well-being. As I see it, 2025 promises to be a transformative year that sets a new standard for security in our digital playground.