In 1969, 21-year-old Norma McCorvey wanted to get an abortion, but she could not due to Texas laws. A lawsuit was filed that eventually reached the Supreme Court of the United States, now known as the historic Roe v. Wade case. The outcome of the case was the Constitutional protection of abortion. However, on June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization case ruled that the Constitution does not confer any abortion rights, overturning both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.
Reactions to the ruling have been mixed, and the gaming community has not been silent on the contentious issue. With a huge portion of the industry based in the USA, it is inevitable that the ruling will affect those working on games. Whether it be from Microsoft's studios, Sony's studios, or indie developers and streamers, many members of the gaming community have thrown their opinions into the public conversation, and some employers have outlined their plans to support their employees going forward.
Reactions From the Gaming Industry in the US
Studios around America have voiced their opinions on social media. Starfield developer Bethesda made a post on Twitter saying, "We believe the ability make choices about one's body and lifestyle is a human right." Similarly, Niantic - most known for Pokemon GO - said that it "stands for reproductive rights," and that it had signed the "Don't Ban Equality" letter which makes a stand against "policies that hinder people’s health, independence, and ability to fully succeed in the workplace." Devolver Digital, a Texas-based publisher behind games such as The Talos Principle and the Serious Sam series, said that "reproductive rights are human rights," a sentiment repeated by several other studios around the country.
Insomniac Games stated that "reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy are human rights," and fello first-party Sony dev Santa Monica Studio wrote that "bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom are fundamental human rights." Santa Monica also went on to say it would continue to uphold its values, and it will support team members with receiving the help they require. Other first-party PlayStation studios have given similar statements, including Naughty Dog, Bend Studio, and San Diego Studio.
These reactions come weeks after a Supreme Court draft opinion leaked that revealed Roe v. Wade would be overturned, leading Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and President Jim Ryan to send an email warning employees to be respect differences of opinion regarding the matter. Many PlayStation employees were furious and found the email to be insensitive and dismissive of the very serious issues at hand.
Reactions From the Gaming Community Around the World
Although the ruling occurred in the United States Supreme Court, it has caught the attention of the world. Gaming studios globally have also offered reactions, including the French company Ubisoft that, on Twitter, said it supports its teams in the US and that "equal rights for all are essential to a world where everyone can be their authentic selves and thrive." Likewise, Netherlands-based studio Guerrilla Games took to Twitter to announce that "reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy are human rights," a message which was also sent out by Dreams developer Media Molecule.
The International Game Developers Association, which is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to helping game creators, put out a statement asserting that it stands for reproductive rights, and is "deeply concerned by increased government interventions undermining and limiting reproductive choice and access to care." Gaming personalities around the world have made their opinions heard, including Blizzard's Swiss commentator Soe Gschwind who wrote, "This is about control & we all know it does not stop here." Canadian Call of Duty streamer Zack Lane, also known as Zlaner, tweeted that he is "heartbroken for the women in America right now."
Gaming Companies Helping Their Employees
With the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling, restrictions on abortion have already been established in several US states. However, other states have declared themselves abortion sanctuaries, welcome those from other states to travel and seek the procedures they require. Capitalizing on this, some gaming companies have declared they will support their employees should they need to travel for healthcare. This strategy has been adopted by the recent Sony-acquired studio Bungie, which will implement a travel reimbursement program for any employee if they or a dependent cannot get healthcare where they live. This is not unexpected from Bungie, as it first voiced its displeasure with overturning Roe v. Wade in May when the Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked.
Other gaming companies have gone a similar route, including Microsoft extending its employee healthcare to include travel expense assistance for "services like abortion and gender-affirming care." Likewise, Electronic Arts revealed that it is working with its US healthcare provider, Cigna, to provide expanded travel health benefits for its American employees and their eligible dependents. There are companies that have shown their support for pro-choice organizations prior to the ruling, such as Insomniac Games, which donated $50,000 to the Women's Reproductive Rights Assistance Project following Ryan's email controversy. This donation was matched by Sony, who promised to match any individual donations made by Insomniac employees.
With the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling, life has changed for many, as several states have already banned or are planning to ban abortion. A matter of this magnitude does not leave the gaming world unscathed, and the community has banded together to protect its vulnerable members. So long as the debate is ongoing, it will continue to be an issue that affects gamers.