Ubisoft To Drop Fist Imagery From ‘Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad’ Over Complaints It Demonizes Black Lives Matter

TOPLINE

Video game giant Ubisoft on Saturday said it would drop raised fist imagery from Tom Clancy’s Elite Squad after some in the gaming community criticized the company for associating Black Lives Matter with the game’s villains amid unrest stemming from the death of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

KEY FACTS

Crucial quote

“We have listened to players and the broader community who have pointed out the ‘raised fist’ imagery, as well as how it’s portrayed in the opening video, is insensitive and harmful,” Ubisoft’s statement reads.

Key background

 This isn’t the first time Ubisoft has faced criticism this year. Multiple executives, including Chief Creative Officer Serge Hascoët, VP of Editorial and Creative Services Tommy Francois and VP Maxime Beland, resigned this summer after multiple media reports found the company mishandled complaints about sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior for years. 

Big number

2%. That’s how many game developers identify as Black, according to a 2019 report from the International Game Developer Association. The gaming industry has long been scrutinized for both its portrayal of Black characters, but also for its overwhelmingly white workforce.

Tangent

The raised fist was first used in the early 20th century as a symbol promoting working-class solidarity as well as anti-facist opposition to the Nazi party and Nationalist forces during the Spanish Civil War. The symbol was eventually adopted by the Black Power movement in the U.S.