Some people on the internet don't know how to be chill and rational with their feelings, so they locked down the Halo subreddit for the weekend.
The game's free to play mode was made available three weeks early after Microsoft and 343 Industries partially launched it. A vocal segment of the fan community was unhappy with the design of the game and the limited spread of game modes.
The team at 343 and the community of the subreddit became hostile towards each other as the outcry intensified. A Saturday evening post imposed a "temporary r/Halo lockdown" which bars users from adding any posts until Monday.
"On all sides this has spiraled out of control and gone on for a long time," r/Halo mod -343-Guilty-Spark- wrote. The amount of toxicity on the sub has made it impossible for people to have civil discussions, which is what the mod team strives for regardless of opinion. Some users on the sub have been responsible for death threats.
We can hit the reset button before Infinite's launch if people settle down a bit. The end of the explanation makes it clear that the level of vitriol is unwarranted, and that passionate fans in any gaming community would do well to internalize that.
It's not a common practice among gaming community-oriented subreddits to lock down. Maybe this is a tool that should be used more frequently, and the mod team is operating ahead of the curve.
This has spiraled out of control on all sides.
Like so many other social media examples, it knocks down the walls that traditionally exist between a large group of consumers and the people behind the products they're interested in, and that's why it's a valuable destination for fans and creators alike. A thriving subreddit is a place for thoughtful discussion and respectful disagreement that content creators can turn to for constructive feedback.
Sometimes gaming communities on the internet can be weird. It's likely due to the mix of deeply invested players and the anything-goes mindset that exists on many subreddits. Most subs have basic rules of decorum, but the lines are often hazy and marked by exceptions.
I'm no stranger to riled-up subreddits, as I've played a lot of online and socially oriented games. At the individual level, offensive behavior is usually shut down. There is a way of cascading hostile behavior in these spaces. When a community fixes on one issue, the most toxic voices become a sort of hydra: Cut one off and a bunch of others come into action.
There are no easy fixes. Hostile behavior needs to be shut down, but it can feel like an exercise in futility once the anger gets out of control. The blowback feels out of sync with reality since the game is off to a very strong start. It's been my go-to game for the past 20 days.
The nuclear option was the smart choice by the r/Halo mod. The cooling off period will give everyone a chance to reflect on their experiences, even though the Infinite lock down will likely not be over by Monday.
It's a great idea. The tribal disputes that occur in video game communities are destructive. When anger is boiling over, the subreddit should embrace the nuclear option.
