Oh, it just wouldn’t be a week without some EVE Online drama, now would it? The latest episode revolves around an alliance whose name, Just Let It Happen, was reported and forcibly changed by CCP’s customer support team as a result of its ambiguous meaning, which was apparently inferred to be a rape reference.
The EVE subreddit lost its spacemarbles; some players slyly recommended additional much less ambiguously NSFW names that ought to be banned, while others justifiably demanded clarity from CCP, and still others took the opportunity to be awful trolls contributing nothing to the debate. CCP Falcon ultimately told the community that while the original customer support staff had followed the naming guidelines properly and would not be reprimanded, the team had discussed the issue and decided to relent, allowing Just Let It Happen to, well, get back to happening.
Our EVE columnist Brendan tells me that it’s not uncommon for CCP to alter player, corporation, and alliance names that violate the TOS when reported by players. And you might remember back in 2015, CCP voluntarily changed the name of the Interbus Ship Identification System browser, aka ISIS, though the studio insisted it was too obscure for newbies, not because of politics.
So for today’s Daily Grind, I’m wondering what you think about EVE’s naming situation. Do the “offensive” names on that list go too far, or is CCP too harsh? How sure are you that you understand the naming rules in your own MMOs?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
