Ubisoft and Riot Games partner to fight harmful content in game comms

Video game companies Ubisoft and Riot Games announced on Wednesday that they are joining forces for a new research project named Zero Harm in Comms to combat harmful interactions in gaming communities.

For the initiative, the companies will combine their databases and knowledge to strengthen their artificial intelligence based solutions which will be used to detect and minimize harmful behaviour among gamers.

“Disruptive player behaviors is an issue that we take very seriously but also one that is very difficult to solve,’’ said Yves Jacquier, Ubisoft La Forge’s Executive Director, in a statement. ‘’At Ubisoft, we have been working on concrete measures to ensure safe and enjoyable experiences, but we believe that, by coming together as an industry, we will be able to tackle this issue more effectively. Through this technological partnership with Riot Games, we are exploring how to better prevent in-game toxicity as designers of these environments with a direct link to our communities,” he added.

The companies, which are both members of the Fair Play Alliance, said the Zero Harm in Comms initiative is just the beginning of a cross-industry project that will provide benefits to everyone in the gaming community.

Wesley Kerr, Riot Games’ Head of Technology Research, commented: “Disruptive behavior isn’t a problem that is unique to games – every company that has an online social platform is working to address this challenging space. That is why we’re committed to working with industry partners like Ubisoft who believe in creating safe communities and fostering positive experiences in online spaces. This project is just an example of the wider commitment and work that we’re doing across Riot to develop systems that create healthy, safe, and inclusive interactions with our games.”

Regardless of the outcome, Ubisoft and Riot Games said they would release their initial findings in 2023.