UPDATE 25/6/22: Many more video game companies – including Xbox, Bethesda, Ubisoft, and Humble Bundle – have spoken out in support of abortion rights following the US supreme court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade.
Following statements from the likes of Insomniac Games and Sucker Punch, Sony developers including Bend Studio and London Studio have posted similar support, saying, “Reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy are human rights”.
The Last of Us developer Naughty Dog shared a lengthier message on Twitter, saying it “believes reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy are basic human rights and essential to the health and wellbeing of everyone.”
“We will continue to uphold those values and actively support all our employees in receiving the care they need and want”, it added. God of War studio Sony Santa Monica has released a similarly worded message.
Away from Sony, other major publishers have made their own statements in support of reproductive rights.
A statement shared on Xbox’s official Twitter feed read, “At Xbox, we remain committed to our employees to ensure equal access to healthcare. We will continue to do everything we can under the law to support our employees and enrolled dependents in accessing critical healthcare.” It added, “Our US health plans cover lawful medical services like abortion and gender-affirming care, and we recently extended our travel benefits to include travel expense support assistance for covered medical services.”