With Donald Trump taking office for the second time in his Presidential career on January 20, 2025, there’s a lot to unpack about the people vehemently against him’s future. On his first day in office, he signed off on various executive orders that could change how many people live their lives and how games are made. At the end of the day, there are real, human people behind every game we’ve come to love in the 50+ years since they’ve been mainstream, and if their lives are impacted, then what you’ll receive as an end product will be as well. So, let’s break down exactly how Donald Trump’s presidency will affect video games as a whole.
What Does Project 25 Have to do With Games?
The short answer: everything. Project 25, which is short for the Presidential Transition Project, is an initiative published by the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation. Despite the think tank not necessarily being a political body, they have proven to have their policies implemented into law via conservative enforcers such as Ronald Reagan during his presidency. Now, since Project 25’s inception in 2023, a lot of thought has gone into exactly how it will help reshape the federal government under Donald Trump.
Unfortunately, we can just about expect him to take on many of the policies proposed by the think group. He’s already been seen meeting with them on various occasions, even way before the start of his 2024 campaign. One example of a proposed policy of Project 25 is the expansion of what ‘pornography’ is and increasing the punishment for those who violate the inappropriate content.
Reshaping What ‘Porn’ Is
Unfortunately, do you know what will likely be considered ‘inappropriate content?’ Games that involve transgender characters, ones that focus on gender beyond male and female, or even those who might be slightly oversexualized (say goodbye to Bayonetta, Cyberpunk 2077, and just about any The Sims game). In researching Project 25, I was reminded of the Hays Code, the guideline for American censorship in film from 1934 to 1968. I recommend looking at the many ‘Dont’s’ and ‘Be Carefuls’ listed by those who implemented the code and what was simply not allowed to be on the big screen during that time. It’s unimaginable what would happen to a massive gaming industry body if that media was no longer legally allowed to be implemented.
Reel Back Workplace Discrimination Policies
Project 25 also aims to dismantle many of the policies that help keep discrimination away from the workplace. This means that those who are not white or cis-gendered have a higher chance of not being offered roles. In turn, this also means that the workplaces of those who are part of the LGBTQ+ or other marginalized communities can become more hostile. Ideally, studios within the video games industry will disregard this policy, as who a company hires is at their discretion.
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Interference
One of the scariest aspects of Project 25 is the aggressive stance against immigration. Part of what makes the gaming industry so great is its reliance on so many people from around the world and their personal experiences. Unfortunately, because of the organization’s opinion on immigration, there’s a high chance we won’t be able to rely on those sources anymore. There is the H-1B visa that allows those of specialized occupations to work in the United States, but it remains unclear what will happen when the new implementations come into force. What’s really scary is that now there are no longer safe spaces such as schools, hospitals, and the like, so ICE agents can raid offices and take those who appear undocumented.
The video games industry is already in a crisis, with tens of thousands of layoffs in the last calendar year, with only more projected. The situation has been so severe as of late that individuals within the industry have taken it upon themselves to create resources specifically for those who have been professionally displaced. The primary advocate in this conversation is Amir Satvat, the winner of the 2024 Game Changer Award at The Game Awards, who has painstakingly made it his mission to help those in need within the gaming industry. Of course, considering all of the above, that also means that his specific resource could be affected to adhere to whatever new parameters the government has decided to stick their hand in and implement.
Video games have become a haven in which the impossible is not only possible but wholly tangible and real, with hundreds of different backgrounds, experiences, and ideas all held together by like-minded souls who yearn for adventure. With the implementation of Project 25, the reason we get excited to watch Nintendo Directs, PlayStation State of Plays, The Game Awards, and more could easily be wiped away.
