343 Industries walk back insensitive Halo Infinite nameplate after fan backlash

Halo Infinite’s developers, 343 Industries named one of their cosmetics for the upcoming Juneteenth celebration after an endangered species of ape, creating an intense amount of backlash for the move. Fans of the franchise did not appreciate the name choice, and spoke out in droves. The developers quickly apologized, and changed the “Bonobo” nameplate into “Freedom.&quot;Sean W@seanwdubsthe fastest fix ive ever seengood190562the fastest fix ive ever seengood👍 https://t.co/npW2mT46yK343 Industries changes ‘Bonobo’ nameplate to ‘Freedom’ following Halo Infinite backlashJuneteenth is the annual celebration of the emancipation of the slaves after the United States Civil War. It is an important federal holiday in the United States and many felt offended that 343 Industries would make such a mistake. Having a nameplate named after an ape in this instance did not go over well with the Halo Infinite fan base.Bonnie Ross@PlutonForEverWe were made aware of a palette option for our Juneteenth emblem that contained a term that was offensive and hurtful. The team immediately addressed this issue via an update. (1/2)2786125We were made aware of a palette option for our Juneteenth emblem that contained a term that was offensive and hurtful. The team immediately addressed this issue via an update. (1/2)Founder and Head of 343 Industries, Bonnie Ross spoke to the fan base after the backlash hit them and apologized for their decision. The choice of naming the cosmetic “Bonobo” was hurtful to a large portion of the fan base.Bonnie Ross@PlutonForEverWe are a studio and franchise that is committed to inclusivity where everyone is welcome and supported to be their true self. On behalf of 343, I apologize for making a celebrated moment a hurtful moment. (2/2)136945We are a studio and franchise that is committed to inclusivity where everyone is welcome and supported to be their true self. On behalf of 343, I apologize for making a celebrated moment a hurtful moment. (2/2)The founder of the studio insisted that they have a community of inclusion and that everyone is welcome, but they made a terrible mistake by letting that name get through to the public release of the game.The nameplate was renamed in an update, given the new name of “Freedom,” and Senior Community Manager John Junyszek explained why the nameplate had the name it did in the first place.John Junyszek@Unyshek@seanwdubs Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Sean. We strive to create diverse and inclusive gaming communities. While the original name refers to an internal toolset, it was not intended to be applied to this content and we recognize the harm it may have caused. (1/2)106448@seanwdubs Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Sean. We strive to create diverse and inclusive gaming communities. While the original name refers to an internal toolset, it was not intended to be applied to this content and we recognize the harm it may have caused. (1/2)When responding to a fan who appreciated the name change going through, John Junyszek said the original name of the nameplate was in reference to an internal toolset and was not supposed to be released to the public that way.John Junyszek@Unyshek@seanwdubs The palette was incorrectly named and we immediately renamed it via an update. (2/2)64718@seanwdubs The palette was incorrectly named and we immediately renamed it via an update. (2/2)The developers realized the hurt they caused their fan base and pointed out that it was incorrectly named, and as soon as they realized it had happened, they quickly moved to push out an update to fix it, giving it a more appropriate name.Thankfully, the Juneteenth event for Halo Infinite has been corrected, and the company has apologized for the mistake they made in the first place. The actual nameplate has not been changed, only the name, going from “Bonobo” to “Freedom.” Hopefully, 343 Industries takes better care in the future to make sure issues like this do not happen.

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