The self-evisceration of the game industry picks up speed:
Today, we will be changing the multiverse ID and removing the Gatherer card image for the card Invoke Prejudice, originally printed in 1994. The card is racist and made even worse by the multiverse ID it was unfortunately codified with years ago. There’s no place for racism in our game, nor anywhere else.
But to that point, it should never have been published nor placed in the Gatherer. And for that we are sorry. The events of the past weeks and the ongoing conversation about how we can better support people of color have caused us to examine ourselves, our actions, and our inactions. We appreciate everyone helping us to recognize when we fall short. We should have been better, we can be better, and we will be better.
To that end, we will be removing a number of images from our database that are racist or culturally offensive, including:
Invoke Prejudice
Cleanse
Stone-Throwing Devils
Pradesh Gypsies
Jihad
Imprison
Crusade
Replacing those card images will be the following statement:“We have removed this card image from our database due to its racist depiction, text, or combination thereof. Racism in any form is unacceptable and has no place in our games, nor anywhere else.”
I can’t say I had any interest in Magic: The Gathering after figuring out the nature of the game mechanics, but the decline and eventual collapse of the converged companies should create some nice opportunities in the near future.
It’s rather telling to observe a perspective that celebrates summoning demons, black magic, and murder, but decries whatever “racism” is this week. Keep that in mind if you’re ever tempted to virtue-signal about your not-racism.