Blizzard community,
Our world has a long history of racism. Humans create groups, and then create divisions between groups unlike themselves. Ironic how we need each other as social creatures, yet we developed the practice to ‘other’ humans who at first glance don’t look like what we see in the mirror.
I have made it a personal obligation to educate myself about trauma others endure, and to work to change those experiences for them. Many within Blizzard come from a place of strong purpose, with a will to do in order to help society.
Last year at BlizzCon, I made a commitment for Blizzard to do better. We pride ourselves on learning and growing, and doing something now that reflects our company and community values. I also said that our actions would matter more than our words—we have been publicly silent until now because action is the important part.
Let me be clear: Blizzard stands in solidarity with those fighting against racism, because racism is as dangerous as any pandemic for those affected. We stand with those fighting against social and institutional structures that promote inequality among people of color.
Last week, AB announced donations to the Equal Justice Initiative, the United Negro College Fund, and the Management Leaders of Tomorrow (MLT) to fight systemic racial inequality. At Blizzard, we are working on initiatives for our community and our workplace.
In our games: For many years, we’ve had teams working with A.I. and machine learning to reduce toxicity and hate speech, as well as to help improve the overall gaming experience. Since January 1 this year, we’ve banned over 30,000 accounts for these reasons, as well as issued more than three million total hours of player suspensions. These penalties have notably improved our game environments: over the last two years, we’ve seen a 43% reduction in poor behavior reports, and a 59% reduction in the re-offense rate. And while this is progress, we’ve identified other places where we can use this technology and have more work to continue to do toward this effort.
In our relationships: We are also reviewing our partnerships to identify opportunities to support Black-owned and diverse businesses, and to amplify the voices of Black content creators and influencers.
Juneteenth: Today at Blizzard, we are observing Juneteenth with the goal of encouraging employees to take the time to be educated. We hosted a virtual session with a leader in our home city of Irvine, California, so employees can learn more about implicit bias, implications for law and policy, and how they can get involved in local efforts to drive change. We have also provided a list of resources to help coworkers self-educate, and shared ways to get involved in advocacy.
Ongoing: We are stronger with more diverse views and experiences. We are committed to being a more equitable workplace, including how and where we recruit, our HR practices, and employee support. We will also put an ongoing employee education program into place. This program will include more training and education (with the materials purchased from Black and minority-owned businesses), and Blizzard-wide town halls with experts on allyship, advocacy, and racism.
All of this work will continue to make Blizzard better, and play some small part in a larger, positive shift.
To our Black community, colleagues, and partners, Blizzard stands with you.
Black lives matter, today and always.
- J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment
Oh, so now you are ready to have a debate on why BLM is necessary, why police brutality is an abuse of power, and your fragility is a broader issue that underlines all white nationalists?
BLM is unnecessary, police brutality is an abuse of power and you just tried to start a "debate" by calling me fragile and implying that I'm a white nationalist (not that there's anything wrong with being white or nationalist).
A white nationalist doesn't necessarily seek to "create a nation solely on race" (whatever that means). I imagine you're getting that from the people who define white nationalism as a sum of its worst elements (kkk, neo-nazis, etc.)
There are many other forms of nationalism. Would I be correct in assuming you don't judge black nationalism based on racist African militias?
Brought to you by the same company that charges ridiculous amounts of money for microtransactions and bends over to China for anything possible, especially involving politics.
Dayum, whitties, incels and otakos going crazy on the comments lol
Kill White Supremacy!
Answer me this J. Allen Brack, if BLM is so important to you than why is your last name Brack and not Black?
don't BS us blizzard, we all know it's $green$ lives that matter to you
Leave it to hearthpwn to not moderate this thread. The average twitch viewer, KEKW spammer, morally bankrupt karens, will obviously come here to try to shit on a progressive and well appreciated movement. Chanting "all lives matters" has nothing to do with protesting systemic racism AGAINST white people (yes, they think white people need a movement, really?). All they want is to protest against black lives matter. I don't expect them to think on their own. It's just repeating white nationalist rhetoric from their favourite republican and are 3 arguments away from defending 1939 germany,
Yep I knew my post would be downvoted for attacking Trump's adminisitration, as I scrolled through the comments here, it's almost like this post is being brigaded by right-wing nuts. You people should be ashamed of yourselves.
wants thread "moderated" to censor criticism of a "progressive movement".
"ur starting to sound like 1930s Germany dood hehe".
Lacking some self-awareness I see.
If you can't make an actual argument, vaguely gesture at imagined hypocrisy. If the shoe fits you, wear it brother.
Indeed
imagine having a political movement no one is allowed to criticize its a socialists wet dream
"BLM has only generated more spite towards black people. It's purpose is political in nature, this is why Black Lives only seem to "Matter" months before a US election and only if a white cop has killed a man."
The problem is, I don't have faith that KEKW karen's, have any intent in favourably pointing out the arguments without putting their snarky, intellectually dishonest biases as part of a constructive debate. It's all larpers and white apologists.
you right its more like George Orwell 1984
You can tell you got to someone when they seek out your comments from outside the conversation to present as an "argument". Especially when it amounts to "what you said is dumb". What happened to making an actual argument lol.
Yes, we're all larpers and white apologists because we're all Americans /s
The reality is that people don't care. That is literally all there is. Considering timezones I believe that the majority of posters commenting at this point are from Europe so you won't find much solidarity for your sociopolitical problems. Give it a couple of hours and then come back.
Man, you are good at pivoting and avoiding debate. I wonder if you even have a spine. Turns out you say dumb shit all the time and I can point it out whenever I choose. My case is that you are this dumb in general, and aren't trolling me. This is your genuine inability to make arguments that directly refute the point i make, and again refer to this imagined hypocrisy when you get scared of defending your actual positions.
I'm not really into political disscussions, since they never lead to anything good (You can't change how other people think). I would just like to say that the whole movement is very righteous and good, but it's pitifully used by many criminals to steal, rape or do anything else crime related now. I don't live in US, I just know about stuff like breaking into the Gucci store etc. from pictures, but in Poland where I live, about a week ago there has been a strange incident. In our capital a group of black people destroyed a monument of Kościuszko. He was a famous general, who thought in US war of independance. He even back then supported the black people and was against slavery. So, when the "demonstrants" were asked why they destroyed his monumet, they just said that they didn't know who he was. Well, it's logicall, he is not really world famous. However, why would "peacfull demonstrants" destroy a monument of someone they don't know? For me it seems like just an act of vandalism.