Garena’s Free Fire Esports team recently faced backlash for a trailer promoting the Free Fire World Series (FFWS) Global Final 2024. The trailer featured a character running up a marble stairway adorned with culturally themed graphics. The stairway features a depiction of the Ram Darbar emblem. This placement was seen by many as disrespectful to the Hindu deity Ram, who holds deep cultural significance in India and Indonesia.
The community’s concerns centered on the perceived diminishing of Ram’s significance by placing his emblem on a stairway. The character jumped over it rather than stepping directly on it. Garena’s choice to film on the stairway and include it in the trailer was seen as the root of the issue.
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In response to the backlash, Garena removed the original video from all its official channels except Malaysia. A revised version was uploaded on the Malaysian channel with the contentious segment edited out. However, the community is calling for a public apology from Garena to acknowledge the cultural insensitivity. Some players have even threatened to boycott Free Fire MAX, the version available in India, unless an official apology is issued. Check out the edited trailer below.
This incident highlights the importance of cultural sensitivity in gaming. While Garena aimed to showcase cultural diversity, the execution was perceived as disrespectful. It’s crucial for gaming companies to approach cultural representations with awareness and respect to avoid unintentionally offending or misrepresenting revered cultural symbols.
