Fighting Game Community Establishes Code Of Conduct Following Allegations And Controversies

After the wave of sexual harassment allegations that swept through the fighting game community last summer, the FGC has established a new code of conduct to create a more inclusive community for all current and prospective members.

The FGC doesn't have a governing document binding the disparate tournaments together. This new code of conduct, signed by video game attorney and prominent FGC member David "UltraDavid" Graham, is the first to attempt to meet that standard. And the community is encouraging all tournament goers and organizers to adopt the newly written code of conduct.

The guidelines are straightforward, with most violations focused on consent between individuals. Anyone who engages in abusive behavior--such as physical, verbal, emotional, suggested (i.e. making threats or using demeaning language), and the like--will be disciplined, likely in the form of temporary of permanent bans from online and in-person tournaments.

The guidelines will be enforced by a new group within the FGC, the CoC Team, and applies to all aspects of tournament organization. This includes fighting game tournaments themselves, as well as tangentially connected aspects like chatrooms, web platforms, and broadcasts.

In a Twitter thread detailing the process and rationale for the FGC's newly minted code of conduct, Graham said that last summer's revelations proved the old system was not working. More standardized rules needed to be implemented.

"Because our old piecemeal system put too much pressure on individual [tournament organizers] to make community-wide decisions and incentivized a dog-piling type of enforcement that nobody enjoyed," Graham wrote. "Having more (but not exclusively) uniform rules/enforcement can avoid these problems."

Other signatories accompanying Graham in supporting the FGC's code of conduct include Super Smash Bros. player Stefan "Shogun17" Pfister, moderators Joe "Super" Munday and Sean "Jester" Stoner, commentator Jamaal "Ryyudo" Graves, and over 30 other members.

In other FGC news, Capcom has announced that Capcom Cup is transitioning online this year as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic rages around the world, particularly in the US. Last year's fighting game tournament EVO was scheduled to be online-only. It was later canceled outright after co-founder Joey Cuellar was accused of sexual misconduct with underage boys. Cuellar is no longer involved in the organization. As of now, the 2021 edition is still planned for Las Vegas.