Turn 10 Studios has released a statement banning the use of the Confederate flag in any of the Forza games. Previously, players were able to use the Confederate flag as a decal on cars. It was often used to recreate the popular General Lee car from The Dukes of Hazzard, which infamously displayed the Confederate flag on the top.
The ban stems from the removal of many symbols with racist undertones in a time of social justice reform. The event of George Floyd's murder has caused protests worldwide and many companies are participating by releasing statements and cracking down on racism. Many gaming developers have taken a stand against racism by ramping up bans for racist comments or actions and have even had in-game events and messages in support.
NASCAR recently banned all Confederate flags at live events so the ban from Forza is no surprise. As one of the top racing games, Forza took a similar stance as NASCAR by trying to eliminate the use of Confederate flags as a racist symbol. NASCAR has not always been the most inclusive sport, but steps have been taken to eliminate racism and to let fans enjoy the sport without worrying about their place in the racing environment.
The Confederate flag ban spans across every Forza game and use of the flag will result in a player ban. Part of Turn 10's statement categorizes the Confederate flag as "Notorious iconography," which is a direct violation of the user-generated content guidelines. Racist symbols and actions have been an issue in online games with user-generated content, but are sometimes hard to catch or not paid attention to enough. With the ban in Forza, it is expected that the game will start handing out bans a much higher rate if players continue to use the flag.
Forza Horizon 4 is the latest title in the Forza franchise, but was released in September of 2018. Although it is still a popular game today, Forza is looking forward to next generation consoles for the release of Forza Motorsport 8, which is expected to release later this year on the new Xbox Series X. With the Confederate flag ban in effect, Forza is taking steps forward to ensure that all players are able to enjoy the games without racist imagery.
Source: Twitter