Ahead of the Game Developers Conference 2023, A study was conducted among video game developers to create an inventory of the sector. A total of 2,300 people were interviewed. The study is particularly interested in the issue of player harassment against them.
The vast majority of these people (91%) consider this type of harassment to be a real problem, and 40% say they have been a victim or witness. Women and non-binary people, as well as those who identify as LGBTQ+ are most likely to find themselves in these numbers.
Although such actions are publicly condemned by the majority of development studios, they only act 68% of the time. Above all, respondents want the studios to recognize the seriousness of the problem and that the actions of the perpetrators are not passion but toxic behavior. Victims wait for the fear of offending the fandom to end by doing little or nothing. Measures claimed include:
- banishment of the perpetrators
- Establishment of coping resources (hotline, legal advice, etc.)
- court proceedings
- Best community manager training