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EA, Sony, Xbox, Activision, Nintendo, Star Wars, Marvel, And More Call For End To Racism

EA Sports says it is looking to take action to "drive change against the unjust treatment and systemic bias that is plaguing the nation and our world."

EA Sports was scheduled to formally announce Madden NFL 21 on June 1, but the developer has changed plans in response to recent events in the world. Not only that, but Xbox, Bethesda, Riot Games, Activision Blizzard, Nintendo of America, and a number of other studios have responded as well, and Sony has now delayed its June 4 PS5 event.

Explaining the decision, Sony said, "While we understand gamers worldwide are excited to see PS5 games, we do not feel that right now is a time for celebration and for now, we want to stand back and allow more important voices to be heard."

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EA Sports said in a statement on Twitter, "We stand with our African American / Black community of friends, players, colleagues, and partners. Our immediate attention is on actions we can take to drive change against the unjust treatment and systemic bias that is plaguing the nation and our world."

The statement goes on: "We'll find another time to talk football with you. Because this is bigger than a game, bigger than sports, and needs all of us to stand together and commit to change."

It's not immediately clear when EA will now unveil Madden NFL 21. The company's E3-style show, EA Play 2020, is scheduled for June 11, so we expect to see and learn more at that time.

Microsoft announced that it will be amplifying the voices of Black and African American employees at the company, as seen in the tweet below.

A number of other game companies and individuals have responded to the ongoing issues in America related to the death of George Floyd. Riot Games, the developers of League of Legends and Valorant, also issued a statement, as did the studio behind David Gaider's new game, Chorus. The Last of Us studio Naughty Dog and The Elder Scrolls publisher Bethesda also added their own message of support for Black Lives Matter, while Star Wars and Marvel did as well.

"Now is not the time for any of us to be silent," Naughty Dog's statement says. "For too long too many have suffered under a systemic problem in America. Too many have lost sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers. We stand in solidarity against racism and injustice."

"Now is the time for all to do our part and end anti-Black racism and violence," it goes on. "Many of us at Naughty Dog are donating to national and local organizations. Please consider donating yourself. We hope to see the beginning of lasting change for POC in America. Black Lives Matter."

Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann and co-founder Evan Wells donated money to various charities, and studio owner PlayStation matched their donations.

Activision Blizzard's statement reads, "Today, and always, we support all those who stand against racism and inequality. There is no place for it in our society--or any society. Black lives matter."

Additionally, Xbox marketing executive Aaron Greenberg shared his thoughts. He asked people to speak up and support the petition to help find justice for George Floyd.

Finally, GameSpot's Play For All is now live, and we've announced that we are expanding it to support not just COVID-19 relief efforts, but Black Lives Matter as well.

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