In an impressive move to combat the ever-present issue of toxic behavior within its gaming community, Activision, the powerhouse behind the iconic Call of Duty franchise, has announced an innovative collaboration with Modulate. This partnership introduces a groundbreaking voice chat moderation system set to debut with the highly anticipated release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on November 10th.
With a resolute commitment to cultivating a gaming environment free from disruptive and harmful conduct, Call of Duty is taking a pivotal step by integrating Modulate’s cutting-edge AI-powered voice chat moderation technology called ToxMod. This advanced system is designed to identify and counteract toxic speech, including hate speech, discriminatory language, and harassment, all in real-time. The introduction of this technology marks a significant enhancement to Call of Duty’s existing arsenal of anti-toxicity measures, which encompasses text-based filtering across 14 languages for in-game communication and an efficient player reporting system.
Michael Vance, Activision’s Chief Technology Officer, expressed the necessity of eradicating disruptive behavior from gaming, especially within voice chat realms, which have posed a longstanding challenge. “With this collaboration, we are now bringing Modulate’s state-of-the-art machine learning technology that can scale in real-time for a global level of enforcement,” Vance stated. He emphasized that this move is a crucial stride towards establishing an enjoyable, equitable, and inviting experience for all players.
The rollout of this revolutionary voice chat moderation system will commence with a beta release in North America on August 30th, initially incorporated into existing games like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II and Call of Duty: Warzone™. A worldwide release, excluding Asia, is slated to coincide with the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on November 10th. The system will initially support English, with plans to incorporate additional languages in subsequent stages.
Mike Pappas, CEO at Modulate, conveyed his enthusiasm about the partnership, affirming the significance of this collaboration in advancing player trust and safety. Pappas noted, “This is a big step forward in supporting a player community the size and scale of Call of Duty, and further reinforces Activision’s ongoing commitment to lead in this effort.”
Activision’s anti-toxicity initiatives have already demonstrated impact, with over 1 million accounts having faced restrictions on voice and/or text chat since the launch of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. The ongoing evolution of text and username filtering technology continues to elevate the real-time rejection of harmful language.
Call of Duty enthusiasts worldwide can anticipate the global release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on platforms including PlayStation 5®, PlayStation 4®, Xbox One®, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Battle.net and Steam on November 10th. The game is published by Activision, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), with development led by Sledgehammer Games in partnership with Infinity Ward. The development of Modern Warfare Zombies is spearheaded by Treyarch, working in close collaboration with Sledgehammer Games. This latest addition to the Call of Duty legacy aims to redefine the gaming experience while upholding the highest standards of community respect and inclusion.
