Profanity filters are commonplace in modern video games, withBattlefield 2042being the latest title to block certain words from game chats. These filters are often poorly received, and its implementation in the upcomingBattlefield 2042open betais no exception. Its poor reception is unsurprising asBattlefield 2042is a Mature-rated game, so it can be expected that most of the gamers playing it will be over the age of 18. Additionally, the game contains “strong language,” so the in-game characters will be saying many of the words that players are exempt from using.
It may seem odd to have a profanity filter in an M-ratedgame likeBattlefield 2042, which undoubtedly will already contain its fair share of profanity. But profanity filters' role in multiplayer gaming is vital to some who are looking to avoid online harassment and general toxicity. On a basic level, they prevent the use of strong language, but their primary goal is instead to verify gamers don’t have to worry about receiving abuse when playing their favorite multiplayer titles.
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Battlefield 2042’s Profanity Filter
Dice has revealedBattlefield 2042’sPositive Play initiative, which will be in effect forBattlefield 2042’sopen beta. This initiative is intending to eliminate abuse from online gaming, which many can get behind, however, this also means that there will also be aprofanity filter inBattlefield 2042. This profanity filter is something that has some fans concerned. The intent behind profanity filters is positive, but gamers have seen the frustration that they can cause through other games. While a profanity filter may keep the game chat mostly clean, it can’t block out harmful voice chat, leading to the filters mainly impacting regular gamers. The effects of profanity filters are also often unseen, which only further fuels the frustration of regular gamers.
Profanity filters are often not perfect at either preventing harassment or blocking out abusive words. Most gamers will have experienced their name or chat being flagged as profanity where none was present. These filters can often create funny juxtapositions between an M-rated game’s actual gameplay and its chat.Red Dead Redemption 2’sprofanity filterwas often criticized, in one case for not allowing a player to name their horse ‘Switchblade’ in offline story mode. Such a harsh profanity filter stands out with some of the content ofRed Dead Redemption 2and its more violent or M-rated moments. In cases like the horse named Switchblade, it’s fairly obvious that the profanity filter is going a bit overboard, but in many other cases, the lines are more blurred.
Why Are Profanity Filters Necessary?
Unfortunately, multiplayer gaming has become notorious for online abuse and harassment. There are regular stories of workers in the video game industry receiving harassment because one of their projects didn’t turn out how fans had hoped. This was a common issue withCyberpunk 2077, which was subject to a number of delays. Despite reports ofcrunch behind the scenes ofCyberpunk 2077, some fans turned the attention of their anger towards CD Projekt Red staff in frustration. Game industry staff are commonly on the receiving end of abuse, but they aren’t the only ones, with many gamers also experiencing it while playing their favorite games online. Multiplayer gaming has brought with it a toxic culture in some corners, which profanity filters can help weed out.
Profanity filters help to limit the frequency and effect of online harassment between gamers. It’s simply the safest option to ban profanity to all rather than subject gamers to a torrent of abuse while playing online. Even games likeCall of Dutyhave a profanity filter in the modern-day, with fans last year taking issue withModern Warfare’sprofanity filter. While imperfect, and annoying for gamers when their innocuous names are flagged as harmful or abusive, profanity filters can help to stem the tide of abuse and toxicity in online gaming. While some may find workarounds for profanity filters, it may encourage others to think twice about what they say online, or simply take the sting out of incidents of abuse in online gaming.
