/r/Games Shuts Down to Protest Toxicity

April Fools day was yesterday, and websites all over the internet were making jokes. Some of them were good, many of them were not, and generally, everyone had an okay time of it. Reddit also participated, of course, from subreddit to subreddit, but while many were pulling pranks and making surprise announcements, there was one subreddit that did something a little bit different: /r/games shut down for the day. Not as a prank… but as a perfectly-timed protest.

This April Fool’s, we decided to take things a little more seriously and shed some light on a growing, pervasive issue that has affected the community of r/Games and gaming communities as a whole. In recent times, it’s come to our attention that what has been intended to be a forum for the potential spread of knowledge and involvement in video games has instead become a battleground of conflicting ideas. Ordinarily, this isn’t an issue; discussion by its very nature is certain to bring argument, but when that argument descends into vitriolic attacks between individuals on a regular basis with no chance at deescalation, that’s when, put simply, something’s got to give.

They go on to explain – and illustrate, trigger warning – the kind of crap they have to deal with every day, and how infectious a lot of toxic behavior has become both in the subreddit and in gaming culture as a whole. They end with a note begging people to be better and linking to charities where you can donate to support LGBT+, women's health, and civil rights.

There are plenty of you who, as members of the community, want to take care of one another. Sometimes this means identifying when conversation becomes confrontation, when discussion gets out of hand and turns to name-calling, slurs or other degrading language. To you, we say thank you. You’re what keep us going, you’re who we want to see more of, and you’re everything that is the potential for a strong, open community for those who love and enjoy video games the way we do.

Well said, r/games. And I hope your message did not go unnoticed.