Bungie steps up to “combat bigotry” following Buffalo mass shooting

Destiny developer Bungie has shared that it will be doing more to “combat bigotry” within online communities such as its own, following a racially-motivated mass shooting on May 14 which claimed ten lives.

Last night (May 17), Bungie shared a statement addressing the shooting and outlining how it plans to combat radicalisation in its own online space.

“Far too often, these racist attacks begin within online communities that are used to recruit and radicalise individuals. It is time we begin to examine our practices and see what part we can play in preventing these tragedies,” explained the studio.

“Bungie and the Black at Bungie inclusion club have worked together to respond to this tragedy. We are currently showing our “Be Heard” Pin on the front page of the Bungie Store. Starting today, and for at least one year, all profits from this pin will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a charity whose work includes monitoring hate groups and other extremists throughout the United States and exposing their activities to the public, the media, and law enforcement.”

Bungie added that Black At Bungie will also partner “with our player support and community teams to see how we can bolster our ongoing efforts to maintain safe and anti-racist spaces in which our players and fans can come together.”

The statement ended with Bungie encouraging other studios and gaming communities to do more to “combat bigotry in all its manifestations,” and said that “games and their communities should be a force for good and we are committed to that.”

Following the attack, both Discord and Twitch have issued statements addressing their involvement in the shooting. Days ahead of the attack, messaging service Discord was allegedly used by the attacker to discuss the shooting, while streaming service Twitch was used to livestream the spree.

Twitch has shared that it will continue to remove clips of the livestreamed shooting, while Discord has said that it will do everything we can to assist law enforcement in the investigation.”