Unraveling the Mystery of 'Arc Raiders' Censorship in Gaming Chats

The Unforeseen Censorship in Marathon's Playtest

During a recent weekend playtest for Bungie's highly anticipated game, Marathon, participants discovered a peculiar issue: the term "Arc Raiders" was automatically censored in the game's text chat, appearing as a series of '#' symbols. This was particularly ironic given that "Arc Raiders," an extraction shooter from Embark, had previously overshadowed Marathon and even influenced some of its design changes.

A Familiar Glitch Across Major Titles

This incident is not isolated, as similar censorship of "Arc Raiders" has been reported in other prominent game titles. In October 2025, the same issue surfaced in Black Ops 7, which Activision attributed to a text filter error rather than intentional censorship. A few months prior, EA's platform also experienced this anomaly, with the problem quickly rectified, though without a formal explanation.

The Probable Cause: Shared Text Filtering Systems

The recurring nature of this censorship across different gaming platforms suggests a common underlying cause. It is highly probable that these game developers utilize similar or even shared text filtering systems and databases. Experts suggest that such widespread, accidental censorship is more indicative of a technical oversight within these systems than a deliberate, coordinated effort by major studios like EA, Activision, and Bungie to block the mention of a competitor's game.

Bungie's Swift Resolution and Ongoing Inquiry

Following reports from players and media, the Marathon development team promptly addressed the censorship. Jake Lucky's social media post highlighting the issue received a direct response from the Marathon Development Team, featuring an image where "Arc Raiders" was uncensored in chat, accompanied by a positive remark about the game. While the immediate problem has been resolved, the exact cause remains somewhat unclear. The development team has acknowledged reports of other unintended name changes to "Redacted," hinting at broader issues within their filtering system. Bungie has been contacted for further comments, and updates are expected as more information becomes available.