World of Warcraft racism is difficult to discuss because there’s no policy for racism. The problem isn’t whether the racist behavior exists, but it’s the fact that no one wants to talk about it. Racism causes tension. Discrimination causes pain. Anyone who is a member of a marginalized group has experienced racism, sexism, homophobia, etc.
Racism and discrimination affect everyone. No one is a winner when people hurt others. In recent years violence against Asian Americans, and the deaths of unarmed African Americans have increased. So, the problem is larger than the World of Warcraft community. This post will discuss how racism impacts the WoW community. Recently, there were allegations of racism within top-end raiding guilds. Racism within WoW is widespread.
Trade chat is a cesspool of racist and sexists trolls. Pick-up groups (PuGs) are bad too because the bullies know they’ll never see you again. A computer screen gives people the courage to say what they’re already thinking. There should be a policy for racism in World of Warcraft.
So, how can we address the racial or discriminatory actions within the game? Let’s talk about it.
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World Of Warcraft Racism And Discrimination
Guilds And Community
Choosing the right guild is important for every World of Warcraft player. Previously I’ve spoken about bad guild behavior within the game.
Some guilds can be toxic and create cliques. These problems are something every WoW player must watch out for. For the purposes of this article, we’ll be discussing choosing a guild for marginalized groups. We can’t force a policy for racism in World of Warcraft, but it can get the conversation moving.
As research for this article, I looked for guilds that are for people of color only. My search took me to Facebook, Reddit, and the World of Warcraft forums. I posted on these social media channels asking my questions. What I discovered didn’t surprise me.
Finding a guild that is specifically for people of color is difficult. There isn’t a specific policy for racism in World of Warcraft. Minorities are a small percentage of the game. World of Warcraft isn’t advertised for people of color. So it’s not surprising when respondents to my questions were overwhelmingly white. I received the most responses on Facebook groups. Several of the conversations became heated.
Several toxic people accused me of being racist. They didn’t care that I’d experienced extensive racism within the game for years. Most of the respondents were kind and supportive. They offered me a chance to join their guilds. These guilds were welcoming and open.
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Guilds And Community Continued
When looking for a guild make sure that they state what they believe. A guild that is open to diversity and kindness will have a policy for racism in World of Warcraft. They’ll also have a no-tolerance policy for hate speech. Your best bet will be joining a guild like these.
Besides being open to diversity and tolerance you’ll also want to pay attention to whether the guild participates in the activities you enjoy like raiding, mythic plus, or rated PvP. You could always start your own guild. Running a guild is work, but is rewarding with the right group of people.
Many Worlds of Warcraft players don’t notice the racism because it’s not affecting them. There are guilds that promote hate. So I can’t stress enough how important it is to pay attention to the guild description. Guilds that aren’t accepting of minorities, LGBTQ+, or other minority groups will show it. Your experiences within the game are valid. Don’t allow another player to tell you how to feel or respond to hate.
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My Experiences – World Of Warcraft
I’ve played World of Warcraft since the Wrath of the Lich King. Throughout the years I’ve seen and experienced racism within the game. I never reveal my race in groups or guilds.
What’s interesting is that racism is so widespread within the community that I feel as if I’m invisible. Players have gone on racist tirades in Group, General, and Trade Chat.
Lately, these tirades bounce between blacks being lazy and the China virus. I’ve also noticed hateful speech toward immigrants. I’m astounded that hateful members of the World of Warcraft community feel comfortable enough to say these evil things. I know that people of color don’t make up a large part of the community, but it’s ignorant to assume that none of us play this game.
My Experiences Continued
Whenever a person of color wants to discuss race within WoW we’re labeled as racist. They tell us not to get political because they play the game to get away from all that crap. We’re supposed to shut our mouths and don’t start any drama.
Every Facebook group where I posted my question had several members accuse me of being the racist one. It’s appalling that a person of color discussing their own experiences with race in World of Warcraft is considered political and ruining their fun. Why is it that a racist individual’s freedom of speech is protected, but the people they’re hurting with that free speech are silenced?
People of color want to “get away from all that crap” too when we play WoW. It’s impossible for us to escape racism because it’s rooted in every aspect of our society. I wish more people of color played World of Warcraft, but how can they if they don’t feel welcome? World of Warcraft should be for everyone to play. Not only do we need more people of color to join the community, but they need safe spaces. It’s exhausting to see racist comments every time I log into the game. Throughout the years it’s only gotten worse.
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Shared Experiences – Silence
A common shared experience regarding the World of Warcraft racism is silence. Many African-American’s don’t admit they play World of Warcraft.
I didn’t realize how blessed I was during Wrath. My godmother introduced me to WoW. Her guild was small and felt like a family. Half of the guild members were black because she had recruited her family, her boyfriend, and me. The racism within World of Warcraft didn’t affect me as much until I left her guild and attempted to start my own.
Added to the experiences of racism is sexism. As a woman, I’ve personally experienced men stalking me within the game. It’s led to me not revealing my race or gender, and I’ll stay silent in Discord too. These experiences are shared by many people of color and women. We shouldn’t have to feel ashamed for playing a video game.
We all have our own reasons for playing WoW. Azeroth is a spectacular world. The story is engaging, and the gameplay is fun. World of Warcraft provides endless entertainment. African-Americans make up about 13 percent of the United States population. This translates into roughly 40 million people. A lot of black people are into video games, anime, books, etc. We consume nerd culture, but sometimes feel ashamed to admit it.
I hope we don’t have to be silenced anymore.
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How Do We Fix It?
World of Warcraft racism and discrimination won’t disappear until we make people accountable. A policy for racism in World of Warcraft could help.
The community has to be willing to stand up for the little guy. As people of color, our voices are drowned out. When I remain silent, nothing changes, but if I speak up then I’m labeled racist and political. Racism within World of Warcraft ends now.
Several people attacked me on the Facebook groups by saying race doesn’t matter in WoW. They also joked about blue and red being the only colors that matter. I agree that Azeroth is a fictional world and real-world racism has no place within the game. The problem is that everyone is comfortable ignoring the obvious racial slurs and comments which have infested the game world.
How Do We Fix It? – Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment can also take steps to discipline and punish offenders. The company has made positive strides by including more diverse options for character customization within the game, but many racist players are now playing black characters. So it’s a win-win and a lose-lose situation.
World of Warcraft would benefit from having a more diverse community. I’m glad that Blizzard Entertainment has a diverse staff, but we must see that within the game.
Heroes in WoW don’t look like me. The exception would be Wrathion, but he’s not exactly black, and he’s not human. We need diversity in our hero lineup, and we need the game to be marketed to people of color. Let people of color know that WoW is a fun and engaging world. They should know that they’ll be safe in Azeroth.
Racism is a moral problem, not a political one. Until we can acknowledge that racism is a human issue, and the pain it causes, we’ll never be free.
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World Of Warcraft Racism And Discrimination
How do you think racism should be resolved in World of Warcraft? Also, have you experienced racism within WoW before? Please feel free to leave a comment below with your thoughts.
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Happy Hunting,
Spyells