Ramadan Brings Muslim Communities Together, And It Deserves A Place In Games
Games often base in-game events on real-world celebrations, playing them out within the bounds of their own game world. A live-service game set centuries into the future where religion plays no part in the story will have an annual winter event that looks a lot like Christmas--engaging gamers worldwide even if they don't celebrate the holiday. However, Ramadan and Eid, events observed and celebrated by Muslims–the second largest religious population on the planet--is often left out.
Ramadan is an Islamic lunar month where Muslims fast from dawn to sunset--along with praying, giving to charity, and practicing patience and self-reflection. It's spent with the local and larger Muslim community, where people come together to strengthen their bonds and, at the end of fasts, indulge in food prepared especially for Ramadan. The month ends with a festivity called Eid al-Fitr where the day starts with a prayer and celebratory hugs followed by a day of jubilation.
There have been subtle efforts to include Muslim celebrations in games: Overwatch added Ramadan-themed lantern sprays, Horizon Forbidden West referenced Eid al-Fitr with a light show of lanterns and crescent moons, Animal Crossing had a player-led gathering as Muslims practiced social distancing, and Fortnite announced a worldwide in-game Lantern Fest inspired by Ramadan.
To celebrate Ramadan within the gaming community a bit more, as well as shine a light on how games can recognize one of the most important events in Muslim culture, GameSpot gathered bite-size anecdotes from Muslim game developers who shared what Ramadan means to them in games and their thoughts on implementing Ramadan in games. They offered their perspectives on how the games industry should
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