How DEI is Triggering a Gaming Collapse Like the Crash of the 80s
The gaming industry is on the brink of a monumental collapse—a fall eerily reminiscent of the infamous crash of 1983. But this time, it’s not just poor-quality games flooding the market; it’s the suffocating grip of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and their disastrous consequences. The "Woke Mind Virus" has infiltrated the very core of gaming, steering developers away from creating fun, engaging experiences for gamers and pushing them to cater to an artificial “Modern Audience” dreamed up by investment titans like Blackrock, State Street, and Vanguard.
This isn’t just speculation—look no further than high-profile failures like Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Concord. Both titles prioritized meeting DEI benchmarks over crafting compelling narratives, memorable characters, and innovative gameplay. These games were heralded as the future of “inclusive gaming” but ended up alienating their core audiences and becoming financial disasters.
The Investment Titans Behind the Woke Push
The rot starts at the top. Investment behemoths Blackrock, State Street, and Vanguard have poured billions into the gaming industry under one condition: adherence to DEI policies. These policies aren’t about making better games—they’re about signaling virtue and checking diversity boxes, often at the expense of quality and creativity. Through their immense financial leverage, these firms have reshaped the priorities of major publishers and developers, coercing them into abandoning their loyal fanbases in favor of chasing a hypothetical audience that doesn’t even buy games.
As a result, studios have stopped making games for gamers. Instead, they’re producing games that pander to woke ideals, chasing awards and social media clout while ignoring what players actually want. The disastrous outcomes of this approach are clear: sales are plummeting, player trust is evaporating, and entire studios are shutting down.
But here’s the kicker—this collapse may be exactly what the gaming industry needs.
The Beginning of the End: The Modern Gaming Collapse
Much like the gaming crash of the 80s, today’s crisis is born of hubris and a disregard for the audience. Back then, the market was flooded with subpar games, leading to massive losses and the fall of industry giants. Today, DEI is the new culprit, infecting studios with a top-down mandate to prioritize ideology over quality.
Studios that embraced DEI, like those behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard, are now in financial freefall. Massive layoffs, shuttered projects, and mounting losses are becoming the norm. Even large publishers like Electronic Arts and Ubisoft are beginning to feel the strain, with their DEI-focused titles underperforming spectacularly.
But something incredible is happening amid the chaos—gamers are fighting back.
How Gamers Are Pushing Back Against DEI
The rejection of DEI by gamers is becoming more vocal and more organized. Titles like Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 have sparked hope, proving that developers who prioritize historical accuracy, compelling gameplay, and player enjoyment can still thrive. This title, which outright rejected DEI mandates, was met with critical acclaim and strong sales, a testament to the power of staying true to gaming roots.
Then there’s Marvel Rivals, a game that deliberately eschews woke narratives and embraces traditional storytelling and gameplay. Its success has left woke critics fuming, but gamers couldn’t care less. They’re voting with their wallets, and the message is clear: the woke experiment is failing.
This shift is only the beginning of a larger movement. But how can gamers and developers ensure this momentum continues?