Red Cross Intercepts Games To Remind Players To Stop Committing War Crimes

If you’re about to hit a new kill streak in Call of Duty, the last thing on your mind might be the rules of an actual war. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is here to remind you otherwise and encourage gamers everywhere that war crimes, even those committed on your PC or PS5, still have repercussions.
 
First-person shooter (FPS) games like Counterstrike, Fortnite, Destiny, and a whole other host of titles out there often have one goal: to kill as many people on the opposite team as possible. That pretty much leaves players ruthlessly decimating anything and everything in their sights.
 
While it might all just be for fun and games (literally), the ICRC’s Play by the Rules campaign wants players to remember the real-life Rules of War the next time they’re about to gun down an enemy and inject a little more empathy into their gameplay.
 
These rules include no thirsting (where you’re not supposed to shoot any unresponsive enemy), no aiming for non-violent NPCs, no targeting civilian buildings, and using of medical kits on everyone—even those on the opposing side.

“Every day, people play games set in conflict zones right from their couch. But right now, armed conflicts are more prevalent than ever,” the ICRC says. “And to the people suffering from their effects, this conflict is not a game. It destroys lives and leaves communities devastated. Therefore, we’re challenging you to play FPS by the real Rules of War, to show everyone that even wars have rules—rules which protect humanity on battlefields IRL.”

Titles such as Battlefield and Call of Duty even look to World War 2 for in-game inspiration. And while it does teach players a little about the historical events, having someone stand in as a shooter in such settings can, in a way, somewhat trivialize the horrors of war.
 
The organization has even created a mode in Fortnite to teach these rules better. However, when you’re battling against so many enemies on a timer, it might be hard even to remember what they are, and the easiest option might still just be to take a rocket launcher to your opponent. Nevertheless, the sentiment still stands.

In a world desensitized to violence thanks to the overconsumption of it in media, it might do some good to take a step back and remember that these games were based on real-life events that have also changed the course of our society.
 
ICRC has employed various Twitch streamers to push the campaign further and have them do playthroughs while adhering to the Laws of Conflict in titles like PUBG Battlegrounds, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone, Rainbow 6 Siege, and Escape From Tarkov.
 
 
 
[via Kotaku and Futurism, screenshots via International Committee of the Red Cross]