The social power of the Internet and networks is reflected in the way in which behaviors and thoughts are gradually adopted or modified to generate awareness and to discard what in a constantly evolving society can no longer be allowed.
Video games, of course, are a means of working on inclusion, on punishing inappropriate behaviors (banning is becoming more common and severe) or on suppressing content, and that leads us to talk about what Activision discreetly did. and Infinity Ward in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Call of Duty: Warzone.
Earlier this year, the expression ‘OK’ with the left hand was added to Modern Warfare and Warzone, and it became common to see players doing it while still shooting (as well as in the video below).
The new ‘Okay’ emote has been the best one added so far from modernwarfare
What Activision and Infinity Ward did not take into account is that in September 2019 that expression was added by the Anti-defamation League to the list of racist gestures, after it was adopted since 2017 in 4chan as a symbol of white supremacy.
According to the entry published by the Anti-Defamation League (international organization, please note), it all started as a joke on 4chan that consisted of attributing false meanings to common expressions.
But the farce with the expression ‘OK’ had such an impact that little by little it was adopted as a real gesture of white supremacy, which caused the racist users of that platform to upload photos doing it.
In this way, the little, ring and middle fingers form the W for ‘White’, while the index and thumb form the P for ‘Power’.
Activision has not communicated anything about it, but the fact is that the expression is no longer in both games and users have already noticed.
About the reasons for withdrawing it, it is likely due to the support the company has shown for the Black Lives Matter movement.