Trigger warnings: rape, harassment.



So, what’s off-limits in the Star Citizen forums? A thread advocating the introduction of rape as a gameplay mechanic, because it’s an “inevitable consequence of piracy” - a-okay. Multiple male-gaze threads about objectifying women - no problem! Harassing forum members who want to make the forum safer, comparing a female-only guild to the KKK - just another day on the internet.

Starting a thread about creating a positive, welcoming, women-only space, then reporting the misogynistic trolls that crawl out of the woodwork? That’s “trolling” and “spam” - you’re banned.

Expressing dissatisfaction with mods who blame the victims? You’re not supposed to talk publicly about the moderators’ actions! Your posts have been deleted, and you’re banned.

You want to contact the senior mods privately? Well, there’s a chat function! You can’t use it, because you’re banned! If you don’t like it, you can always leave.

This is Star Citizen, by Cloud Imperium Games. The most lucrative crowd-funded project ever. And an incredibly hostile environment for fans who just wanted a safe place to have fun. Will the staff come to their senses, reverse around twenty-five absurd bans, apologize publicly, and support a healthy environment for women? Or will they go on pretending that this is remotely acceptable, and let the foundations of their community rot out before the game is even released?