\n<\/p>\n
SteveTheGamer55 is live on YouTube<\/a>. He\u2019s streaming a session to his 4.6 million subscribers of GTA 5 RP<\/em>, a Grand Theft Auto 5<\/em><\/a> mod that allows people to role-play with other players. \u201cReally wanna show you guys some real-life scenarios,\u201d he says, offering a little background on his character, a man headed to his job while on a work visa.<\/p>\n His character doesn\u2019t get far before an SUV swings onto the sidewalk in front of him; masked ICE agents<\/a> spill out of the vehicle. \u201cStop right there,\u201d one of the uniformed players says. It isn\u2019t long before SteveTheGamer55 is surrounded by agents. He hands over his ID while bystander players yell at the agents and demand his release. \u201cWhy are you harassing people?\u201d one says, before the worker is finally let go. Later in SteveTheGamer55\u2019s play session, he stands in front of a large iron gate reminiscent of those in ICE detention centers seen in cities like Chicago. More in-game ICE agents have gathered. He records from his phone. Just in front of him, a player in a red suit demands to see a warrant for his client.<\/p>\n The \u201cspecial event\u201d held on November 20, where players took on different roles that reflect real-life ICE raids, was the first initiative by New Save Collective<\/a>, a baker\u2019s dozen of gamers with backgrounds in activism and organizing, whose goal is to educate gamers and teach people about their rights when dealing with ICE in real-world situations. On November 21, at 7:30 pm ET, gamers will gather in Epic\u2019s massively popular battle royale, Fortnite<\/em>, to hold a closed scavenger hunt that will serve as a more casual educational opportunity. The group is working with several immigration advocacy groups, as well as collaborating with content creators, to spread their message online.<\/p>\n Online gaming spaces have long appealed to the right as a place to push conservative or even extremist ideologies<\/a>. The US military has been open about its attempts to use games as a recruitment tool<\/a>, and immigration authorities are no different. In October, the Department of Homeland Security posted an image<\/a> aping marketing for the Halo<\/em> series. \u201cFinishing this fight,\u201d the agency\u2019s official account tweeted\u2014a reference to Halo 3<\/em>\u2019s tagline\u2014alongside an image with the text \u201cDestroy the Flood\u201d slapped over a blurry depiction of the game\u2019s supersoldiers; the Flood are Halo<\/em>\u2019s alien antagonists. DHS has also riffed off of Pok\u00e9mon<\/em>\u2019s \u201cgotta catch \u2018em all\u201d tagline,\u201d going as far as to post a video<\/a> of ICE agents destroying property and arresting people, interspersed with the show\u2019s opening.<\/p>\n A spokesperson previously told The Hill<\/a> that the DHS \u201cwill reach people where they are with content they can relate to and understand, whether that be Halo, Pok\u00e9mon, The<\/em> Lord of The Rings<\/em><\/a>, or any other medium.\u201d But where movements like Gamergate<\/a> peddled in harassment, hatred, and exclusion, New Save Collective\u2019s goal is to foster a community that is kind, authentic, and oriented towards doing good.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of us are immigrants, or children of immigrants, or children of refugees,\u201d says one organizer who goes by PitaBreadFace online. (The organizer requested WIRED not use his name out of safety concerns.) \u201cWe’re here at this stage in the political climate to cultivate some belonging, but also move people towards a shared purpose that everyone seems pretty hungry for.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n