As game workers, we bring a lot of joy to the world with the games that we make. And while our day to day jobs often feel removed from the Israeli genocide in Palestine, there are complicit companies in our industry like Microsoft which provide material support.
Xbox is a huge platform and a large portion of the games we make. It’s time for us to take a look at how the games we create and publish on Microsoft’s platforms enable genocide. It’s time to take action to force Microsoft to change course.
Below are several actions game workers, developers, publishers, and unions can take to help end the genocide. Several of them will require sacrifice and we understand they won’t be easy. We ask that instead of dismissing them outright, you discuss these actions with others and outline what you would collectively need to do to make them happen.
Everyone
- Don’t accept any funding or promotion from Xbox or Microsoft. We understand that funding and promotion can be hard to come by and that companies may already have contracts with Xbox or Microsoft. If you can cut ties now, that is ideal. If you can’t do that, then secure different funding for the next project.
If you run a publisher
- Don’t publish games on the Xbox and Microsoft Stores. If you have any upcoming releases, work with the developers to agree to not publish on any Microsoft-owned platform. If you can, also remove games that are already published there. This is a big ask for many publishers and developers and not something we ask lightly, but it can make a huge impact.
If you run a game development studio
- Demand your publisher not publish your game on the Xbox and Microsoft Stores. We understand that you might not always have the contractual right to say which platforms your game is released on, but you can coordinate with other developers to pressure your publishers to make that change.
If you are a game worker
- Join a union and organise with your coworkers to demand the development studio and publisher not publish the games you help create on the Xbox and Microsoft Stores.
If you are in a union
- Make a public statement calling out Microsoft’s complicity.
If you’d like support or advice on how to run campaigns like these, pop us an email at hello@nogamesforgenocide.com, we’ll be happy to help.