Rockstar Games shut down access to GTA Online and Red Dead Online today during a memorial service in honor of George Floyd.
Thousands in mourning are honoring George Floyd during the memorial service today. A few other companies already voiced their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and the protesters scattered around the world, who are taking a stand against systematic racism and police brutality. Rockstar, developer of big name games like Grand Theft Auto V and Red Dead Redemption 2, took their servers offline for the memorial service.
Posted on Rockstar’s official Twitter this morning, the company announced the two-hour closure scheduled between 1pm and 3pm CT on June 4, the same time as George Floyd’s memorial service. Rockstar stated they wanted to “honor the legacy of George Floyd” by taking their servers offline during the memorial.
Rockstar isn’t the first company to express support for the protesters and Black Lives Matter movement. Infinity Ward, Nintendo, the Pokémon Company, and others posted messages of support on social media. Other major companies delayed releases or pushed livestreams back to keep the focus on the protests.
In a follow-up tweet, Rockstar posted a link to charities and urged players to donate. Rockstar’s tweet implies the company will donate to the victims and families of victims, but it hasn’t disclosed an amount or specific charity at this time.
