In The News
News coverage of my Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Accessibility work
Oct 6, 2021
The PlayStation Store Just Launched An Accessibility Collection
PlayStation just recently added an Accessibility Collection, described as:
"The Best of Accessibility
Browse a collection of games that are leading the way in accessibility options, meaning people of all abilities can enjoy.
The developers of these games are setting a great example for the rest of the industry, ultimately making games better and more inclusive for everyone."
Of special note, both our Call of Duty: Warzone and our Call of Duty: Vanguard teams have landed a spot on the collection!
Oct 6, 2021
Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Season Six Patch Notes
Added an option under the Accessibility menu to customize the amount of time that messages in the Killfeed stay on screen. This option is intended to support Hard of Vision, Hard of Hearing, and Cognitive Overload accessibility.
Added an option under the Audio menu to adjust the degree to which the Mono Audio is applied when enabled.
Sep 30, 2021
CoD: Warzone Gets New Text Chat Accessibility Options
Call of Duty: Warzone now gives players more control over how they choose to use the game's text-based chat feature.
Sep 27, 2021
Why diversity is critical to media and entertainment - and how to achieve it
To address these issues, many brands and advertisers are seeking greater diversity in their workforce and are looking to their agencies to provide it, with clear policies to support that goal. These initiatives create a virtuous circle where diverse content attracts diverse creators who, in turn, create more diverse content. For example, when Beenox and Raven Software added more gender options to their “Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War” game, they reported an increase in the gender diversity of applicants for creative roles.
Aug 16, 2021
Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Season Five Patch Notes
Added the option to have Steady Aim Behavior be a toggle instead of a hold for Controller and KBM.
This accessibility feature supports motor disability by eliminating the need to hold a button for extended periods of time in order to stabilize scoped Weapons such as snipers.
Aug 2, 2021
Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Season Four Reloaded Patch Notes
Non-verbal communication is a cornerstone of Warzone gameplay and we are leveraging accessibility-oriented playtesting and our Warzone Accessibility FAQ feedback form to explore improvements to our text chat features. By adding more customizability to the amount of time the text chat stays on-screen when new messages are received, we hope Players will be better supported in strategically communicating with their squad without needing to rely on external hardware, such as headphones. However, we want to avoid spamming Players with additional HUD messaging during moment-to-moment combat, so we have also added an advanced version of this feature that allows Players to choose which of their incoming messages have longer or shorter on-screen durations. In effect, Players will be able to choose to keep squad messages on-screen for longer, while quieting down things like system messages. Alternatively, for Players with disabilities related to cognitive overload, the Text Chat Behavior (Time On Screen) feature allows Players to turn off in-game text chat notifications on the HUD entirely, so that messages can be received without causing disruption or disturbance that hinders the gameplay experience.
Jul 16, 2021
Call of Duty: Warzone gets its biggest balance update ever
The following new features focus on three primary areas of accessibility: Hard of Hearing, Blind/Low-Vision, and Cognitive Overload.
Jun 30, 2021
First Person: Sydney Terris on New Gender and Pronoun Options in Call of Duty's Campaign Experience
When Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War launched last October, it introduced new gender identity and pronoun options to the “Player Profile” in the game’s campaign experience. Since then, this feature has enabled our diverse player community to express themselves in new ways. In this episode of “First Person,” Raven Software UX designer Sydney Terris highlights the inspiration for these new profile options and her passion for bringing them to life.
Jun 30, 2021
Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Season Four Patch Notes
These 8 cards are available in addition to the existing 6 Pride Calling Cards for a total of 14 Pride flags represented in-game Happy Pride month! As a part of our celebration, we have added 8 new flags for free for all Players! Diversity and inclusion are important, and we are excited to expand our in-game representation of LGBTQIA+ identities in honor of Pride month.
Jun 21, 2021
Call Of Duty: Warzone Adds New Pride Flags
Raven Software is celebrating Pride month with the addition of 8 new Pride flag Calling Cards.
Jun 16, 2021
Call of Duty: Warzone Adding LGBTQIA+ Calling Cards to Celebrate Pride Month
Call of Duty: Warzone fans can celebrate Pride Month with a set of Calling Cards, and developer Raven Software confirms when they will go live.
Jun 16, 2021
Here are the patch notes for Call of Duty: Warzone’s season 4 update
“These 8 cards are available in addition to the existing 6 Pride Calling Cards for a total of 14 Pride flags represented in-game Happy Pride month! As a part of our celebration, we have added 8 new flags for free for all Players! Diversity and inclusion are important, and we are excited to expand our in-game representation of LGBTQIA+ identities in honor of Pride month.”
Jun 16, 2021
Warzone Season 4 update patch notes: Satellite POI, weapon & attachment updates, bug fixes
“These 8 cards are available in addition to the existing 6 Pride Calling Cards for a total of 14 Pride flags represented in-game Happy Pride month! As a part of our celebration, we have added 8 new flags for free for all Players! Diversity and inclusion are important, and we are excited to expand our in-game representation of LGBTQIA+ identities in honor of Pride month.”
Jun 3, 2021
Call Of Duty: Warzone Dev Makes Accessibility Options Easier to Reach
Call Of Duty: Warzone developer Raven Software has moved the game's accessibility options to be more visible from the main menu or the options menu.
May 21, 2021
Call of Duty Warzone Patch adds Accessibility Menu and "HOH-Like Subtitles"
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May 19, 2021
Call of Duty®: Warzone™ Season Three Reloaded Patch Notes
Core to our philosophy is ensuring all players across a broad spectrum of ability and disability are able to play and enjoy our content. The addition of the Accessibility Options menu supports this vision by bringing more visibility to the available options while increasing ease-of-access. More information on Warzone's accessibility features can be found on the Warzone Accessibility FAQ.
May 6, 2021
Call of Duty: Warzone Shares Accessibility Updates From Player Survey
Call of Duty: Warzone's developers confirm that more accessibility options are in the game's future, including changes for visual hearing.
May 4, 2021
Accessibility is part of the beauty of battle royales like ‘Warzone,’ ‘Fortnite’ and ‘PUBG’
Of the three battle royales covered here, “Warzone’s” gun customizability is unrivaled as a benefit for the disabled. Each weapon can be equipped with varying attachments that not only benefit the player, but also the area of engagement. For example, if a disabled individual prefers to fight at a distance, attachments like scopes, barrels and muzzles can drastically affect the recoil and stability for more precise shooting at longer ranges. Conversely, items like lasers, grips and stocks are best for close-quartered-combat.
Apr 29, 2021
Call of Duty: Warzone dev wants player feedback to improve accessibility options
Call of Duty: Warzone developer Raven Software is asking for fan feedback about accessibility options.
Nov 28, 2020
Call of Duty fans will now get to choose the gender of their characters
Fans of Call of Duty will get to choose the gender of their characters in the latest version of the military game. Other characters will then use pronouns “they” or “them” when referring to non-binary users.
Nov 20, 2020
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War review - solid action with the potential for greatness
Black Ops Cold War lets you create your character - it's the first game in the series to do so - and while you don't get to pick how you look, you do get to pick your gender from four options: classified, male, female and non-binary. If you pick non-binary, characters use "they" and "them" pronouns when they address you in dialogue. The option to pick non-binary is progress, particularly in a triple-A shooter such as Call of Duty.
Nov 19, 2020
Call Of Duty Non-Binary Characters
The game allows players to choose their gender for lead character Russell Adler by picking male, female or a non-binary option which is a first for the series’ single player mode.
Nov 19, 2020
Non-Binary Option Added to Call of Duty
For the first time in the franchise’s history, Call of Duty has added an option for players to choose non-binary as their gender.
Nov 19, 2020
Female vs Male vs Non-Binary - Call of Duty Cold War
Gender differences in Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War
Nov 18, 2020
Call of Duty Adds Nonbinary Player Option
For the first time in the video game franchise's history, Call of Duty players have the option to choose their gender between male, female, and two new options, classified and nonbinary.
Nov 16, 2020
New Call of Duty gives players proper non-binary option
In Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, players now have the option to – in a first for the series’ single-player mode – choose their gender, which includes a non-binary option.
Nov 15, 2020
REVIEW: ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’ is an Exciting and Intriguing Spy Story
Early on the player fills out their character’s dossier. This allows you to not only name, choose skin color and gender(with non-binary as an option), but also select a couple of gameplay traits based on their psychological profile.
Nov 15, 2020
Call of Duty franchise has added a non-binary option in latest release
We are loving the inclusivity!
Popular gaming franchise Call of Duty has taken a step in LGBTQ+ inclusivity by adding a non-binary category in its gender options.
The new feature is part of the new Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War campaign.
Nov 13, 2020
Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War campaign gets a 'non-binary' gender option
The usual male and female options are there, as well as a non-binary option. Characters will refer to the player with the proper "they" and "them" pronouns in voice and text throughout the campaign to reflect the choice.
Aug 27, 2020
Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Has "Classified" Option For Non-Binary Players
Treyarch and Raven Software have come up with a good solution for non-binary players in Black Ops Cold War. Actually, it might be the perfect solution for every game that suffers from having only two gender options to pick from during character creation.
Aug 26, 2020
‘Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War’ campaign drips with intrigue as it dances around a political hornets nest
The series also moves us back to a silent protagonist role, one that can be customized to a degree. Players can pick between three genders: male, female or “classified.” The “classified” classification is meant for anyone who might be non-binary or doesn’t want to identify a gender. The “classified” designation is also applicable to other fields in the bio form as well. The thinking from the developers is that rather than forcing players into a decision they don’t want to make, people will appreciate the feeling of being shrouded in mystery and letting their imagination define their character. The developers also rerecorded dialogue to use them/they pronouns for the “classified” gender.