According to Forbes, Ubisoft has just released an updated version of its Good Game Playbook, a free online safety resource that’s now split into three separate sections targeting parents, teenagers, and children under 13. The French gaming giant behind Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry partnered with British mental health charity Safe In Our World, just like they did with the 2023 version. Player safety director Jérémy Marchadier emphasized the importance of expert input for “authenticity and accuracy” in the guidance. The update follows the UK’s Online Safety Act implementation in July 2024 and comes amid concerning statistics – an October Ofcom report found 47% of teens aged 13-17 are highly concerned about trolling while gaming, while 45% worry about abusive behavior. Another April 2024 study ranked online games as the third most likely place for “nasty or hurtful behavior” among kids aged 8-17.
Why this matters now
Here’s the thing – online gaming toxicity isn’t exactly breaking news. We’ve known about this problem for years. But what’s different now is the regulatory pressure and the sheer scale of the issue. When nearly half of teenage gamers are actively worried about harassment while playing, that’s not just a “community management” problem – that’s a fundamental threat to the gaming experience itself. And with the UK’s Online Safety Act now in force, publishers can’t just pay lip service to safety anymore. They need concrete, measurable actions. Ubisoft’s timing here isn’t accidental – they’re getting ahead of potential regulatory requirements while addressing what players are actually complaining about.
The approach matters
I think the most interesting part of this update is how they’ve segmented the audience. Kids get quizzes to stay engaged, teens get tools rather than rules to avoid alienating them, and parents get practical guidance on everything from microtransactions to monthly activity reports. That’s smart. Basically, they’re recognizing that a one-size-fits-all approach to safety guidance doesn’t work when you’re dealing with such different age groups and concerns. Marchadier’s comment about giving teens “tools, not rules” shows they understand you can’t just dictate behavior to teenagers – you have to empower them to make better choices themselves. And the monthly reporting feature for parents? That’s walking a fine line between helpful oversight and surveillance, but if it facilitates actual conversations rather than just monitoring, it could be genuinely useful.
Broader industry context
Ubisoft isn’t alone in this space – Nintendo and Epic Games have their own safety initiatives, particularly around Fortnite’s massive player base. But here’s what strikes me: we’re seeing gaming companies essentially becoming de facto social platforms with all the moderation and safety challenges that entails. The difference is that while social media companies have been dragged kicking and screaming into safety measures, gaming publishers seem to be approaching this more proactively. Maybe it’s because gaming is still fighting the perception that it’s “just for kids” and they need to demonstrate responsibility. Or maybe they’ve learned from watching social media’s very public struggles with content moderation. Either way, this feels like an industry that’s maturing rapidly in its approach to user safety.
The real test
So will this actually make a difference? Guides and resources are great, but the proof will be in whether players actually use them and whether they lead to meaningful behavior change. The fact that Ubisoft updated this based on fan feedback is promising – it suggests they’re treating this as an ongoing project rather than a one-off PR initiative. And partnering with an actual mental health charity gives it more credibility than if they’d just cooked up the advice internally. But let’s be real – no guide is going to eliminate toxicity from online gaming entirely. The real measure of success will be whether we start seeing those concerning statistics about trolling and abuse start to trend downward over the next year or two. That’s the numbers that will really matter.
