Ubisoft partners with Safe in Our World on anti-toxicity playbook

Ubisoft announced this week it has partnered with mental wellness charity Safe in Our World on the Good Guide Playbook. The new collaborative effort is a guide that helps players identify and shield themselves from various kinds of online and in-game toxicity. According to Ubisoft, the Playbook is part of its ongoing efforts to build safer, more rewarding social spaces within its games. Ubisoft plans to distribute it to players who report others for toxicity, as well as those who have been reported.

According to Safe in Our World, the Playbook provides examples of toxic behavior to help users better identify it in themselves and others. It also educates players on the effect of toxic behavior on the larger community, helps players identify triggers that might cause them to behave in disruptive ways and also offers players tips on how to practice self-care to help themselves recover from toxic interactions.

Jérémy Marchadier, Ubisoft’s director of player safety, told GamesBeat in an interview, “With the Good Game Playbook, our objective is, for players who have been affected by disruptive behavior, to get the right information at the right moment but also to show them it’s ok to ask for help should they need it and that resources exist. As for players who have been reported for disruptive behavior, while we know that not everyone will be interested in this information, we want to make it clearer how their behavior impacted another player and offer guidance on how to do better next time.”

Rosie Taylor, content and community manager for Safe in Our World, told GamesBeat, “This playbook acts as a proactive approach to broader understanding around our collective gameplay habits, and how gameplay affects others. It’s a fantastic start into what I hope becomes a fast pattern across our wider industry. When toxicity is not tolerated in any community, it will struggle to thrive. Our goal is that this playbook encourages other games companies to start reflecting on what resources they have in place to protect their players (and their staff!). If the entire games industry rallies behind putting time and money into tackling toxicity and prioritizing player safety, we could make one hell of a difference.”