Woman suffers seizure while playing popular video game: 'It doesn't take much to consider [us]'
Cyberpunk 2077 has some scenes which can cause an epileptic seizure. Unfortunately, one reviewer found this out firsthand.
Game Informer’s Liana Ruppert has struggled with epilepsy after an injury she sustained during her time in the military, she explained in her recent Cyberpunk 2077 review.
In the piece, Ruppert said she suffered a grand mal seizure when playing through a braindance, which is a sequence in the game featuring rapidly flashing lights.
In response to Ruppert’s piece, CD Projekt said it will add a more prominent warning in the game for epileptic triggers and implement more accessibility features in the future. Ruppert responded positively to the news.
“Thank you so much for listening!” she tweeted. “I’m so proud of how far accessibility has come and while there’s more work to do, it takes moves like this to make them happen. I look forward to learning more about the steps being taken so that everyone who wants to can enjoy Night City!”
Thank you so much for listening! I'm so proud of how far accessibility has come and while there's more work to do, it takes moves like this to make them happen. I look forward to learning more about the steps being taken so that everyone who wants to can enjoy Night City!
— Liana Ruppert (@DirtyEffinHippy) December 8, 2020
Epilepsy is becoming increasingly common among Americans and at least 3.4 million Americans live with it today, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
For a game of Cyberpunk 2077’s stature, not even including a warning prompt at the beginning of the title feels like a big oversight. It’s also not difficult to implement.
In 2009, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 made headlines for its infamous “No Russian” mission. It featured a squad of Russian terrorists gunning down civilians in an airport in order to spark a war with the United States. The player is a C.I.A mole in the squad who can choose to participate or not.
Because of its violent and disturbing nature, players were given the choice to skip the mission entirely.
CD Projekt adding a separate warning in the game to inform players with epilepsy is a welcome move. There’s no word yet on whether the permanent solution they discussed would be skipping the braindance sequences entirely or to have them reworked so anyone can enjoy them without fear of seizures.
Ruppert responded to the change a few days later, saying she was “thrilled” by the change.
“I'm glad other studios can see that it doesn't take much to consider the epileptic community,” she wrote in response to another user.
Me too! And I'm glad other studios can see that it doesn't take much to consider the epileptic community <3
— Liana Ruppert (@DirtyEffinHippy) December 11, 2020
Thanks to Ruppert, millions of gamers will now have a heads up about triggers that could await them in Cyberpunk 2077.
If you liked this story, check out this article on the global release dates for Cyberpunk 2077.
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