We’re so pleased to share with you the Feminist Frequency Lifetime Report and 2023 year in review. Download the report to learn about the work we did last year with the Games and Online Harassment Hotline, Culture Shift Project, and our podcast Feminist Frequency Radio. As it’s the final rundown of our work as a nonprofit, it’s also a look back at the past decade-and-a-half of our organization’s work and community. Thank you again for all of your support over these 15 years!

After I made the conclusive decision that the time had come to close Feminist Frequency, my first fully-formed thought was: “Holy fuck!” We—that’s all of us who have been on this journey together—have done so much. We made changes to an industry that were desperately needed, shaking up the status quo and distributing content in the early days of video punditry. While we weren’t the first voices in the conversation about inclusion in gaming, we were part of building a community that meant more to its members than we could ever have anticipated. Seeing even more people take up this mantle and continue the work has been heartening; many people working within the industry, even people I have been critical of in the past, have supported and worked to create real change. So I know you’re asking: why now?

The best answer I can give is the honest truth: I’m exhausted. I know that it’s not unusual for nonprofits to have a life cycle shorter than a lot of people would like, but there are unique challenges when they’re so entwined with an individual (me) who has become a symbol (oops), for better and for worse. I’m hoping that it will be valuable to share the reality of the bone-deep burnout that comes from consistently saying yes to the growth of Feminist Frequency, often at the expense of protecting my personal boundaries, and the workload of our team. While I’ve already said my piece about the harassment that myself and others have experienced over the years, reflecting on it now I can express both a sense of pride that conversations about online abuse have become part of our lexicon, and a reality that it has come at the cost of my health and wellbeing. And so, while there has been so much value to this project, and its different iterations over the years, there is also value to projects coming to an end when they can no longer be best served.

And to you, the human being reading this letter to the very end, who’s been along for the ride and supported me, and the staff, and the mission of all this work… thank you. I’ve written a lot here about an organization, yet words fail me when it comes to talking about every single individual that made wonderful things come out of the last fourteen years of Feminist Frequency. SO MANY PEOPLE were both impacted by and made tangible impressions on me as an individual and on this work, rippling throughout the community. You’ve given me strength when being the face of this thing took its toll, and you’ve been there for each other in a rapidly-changing online landscape. So please, remember to stand up for those in need of an ally, and keep being critical of the media that you love. And crucially: be kind to yourself; we’re no good to others if we don’t take care of ourselves.

So what does this mean going forward? Read on for details…

• For me, it means prioritizing rest and taking time away from the direct responsibility of being the face of a mission, for the first time in a decade and a half. You can stay in touch with me at my website or on various social media @anitasarkeesian.
• For Feminist Frequency, it means a gradual ceasing of operations, shutting down completely in early 2024.

• The Games and Online Harassment Hotline will be available through September 30, after which time its fantastic leader Jae Lin will continue to operate its accountability support space ReSpec, and the website will stay live with critical resources for building a safer games culture. 

• Our podcast, Feminist Frequency Radio, will continue to be helmed by its co-host Kat Spada. “Tropes v. Women” and our full video archive will remain online, available as a free media criticism resource indefinitely. 

• And we will be sure that our community is kept informed of all closing details as a final annual report will be published and a celebration for community and industry partners will be held in early 2024.

We are in the process of canceling all recurring donations and will stop accepting new donations as of today. Tax receipts will be issued in January of 2024 as usual. Donations already received this year will continue to be used to support the Games Hotline and Feminist Frequency operations and for the many tasks required to shut down a non-profit. If we have any funds left after completing these tasks, we will donate them to mission aligned non-profits.

The work that our community has done to effect change in the games industry and communities made a difference, and all of us at Feminist Frequency and the Games and Online Harassment Hotline are hopeful to see improvements continue to be made. We’ll be taking a more thorough look back at each program’s accomplishments in the forthcoming annual report. If you’re moved to support other mission aligned organizations, we recommend learning more about Take This, Interrupting Criminalization, and the orgs that make up the Coalition Against Online Violence.

With gratitude and in solidarity,

Anita Sarkeesian
Executive Director

To download the press release, click here.

We’re excited to share our 2022 Annual Report with you. Download the report to learn about the work we did last year with the Games and Online Harassment Hotline, the Culture Shift Report, and our podcast! This work wouldn’t be possible without all your support! Thank you!

We’re excited to share our 2021 Annual Report with you. Download the report to learn about the first year of the Games and Online Harassment Hotline, what’s going on with our podcasts Feminist Frequency Radio Podcast and our Feminist Frequency Star Trek Podcast, and all the events, streams, and programs we were on!

So much gratitude, as always, to everyone who follows, supports, and amplifies the work we do; you make all of this possible. Thank you.

It’s safe to say, there have been some really sh*tty moments in 2021. Whether you’ve been a victim of harassment yourself or just watched as news stories about abuse in the games industry played out across your feed, it’s been a tough year. When we sat down to write about the state of games and media, the thing that kept floating to the top again and again is that we have had ENOUGH. 

• Enough stories of people in high positions abusing their power.
• Enough with companies turning a blind eye to harassers or actively working against the collective bargaining of their employees.
• Enough doxxing campaigns and hate raids.

We deserve a world where everyone is safe from harassment and abuse. Where individuals and corporations say ENOUGH and actually make meaningful change in their communities. We are fighting for that future and we need you. 

Can we count on you to help make sure the Hotline not only stays open, but is able to expand? To fully roll out our training program for leaders within the games industry? To keep all of our programs going? 

DONATE NOW

With your help, we’ll start 2022 strong. Let’s break the cycles of abuse together. 

Instead, we joined forces with three other gaming community nonprofits and game companies to launch the Stay In the Game Relief Fund. And this community joined hands to help us through the early part of the pandemic, when we weren’t sure if or how we would make it. 

Last year, the pandemic halted the launch of our newest program, the Games and Online Harassment Hotline. This year, not only is the Hotline open – we’re expanding our hours and investing in new features to help us do an even better job supporting people who need it. And that is thanks to generous people like you who care about making this community safer for everyone.

So much has changed over the last year. But one thing hasn’t: when we come together, we can actually make progress happen.

Thanks to Landfall Games and Devolver Digital, the first $15,000 will be matched 100%!

There’s so much more progress we can make together in creating safer gaming and online spaces. Help us reach our $25,000 goal for this campaign and we can get started. 

Feminist Frequency and the Games and Online Harassment Hotline are excited to expand this year and with that we are currently hiring for a few positions. If you are interested in joining our team please take a look at the job descriptions and if they sound like you, please apply!

These are the roles we are currently hoping to add:

 Marketing Manager
  Corporate Giving Officer
Graphic Designer

Learn more about all the positions and how to apply on our Notion page!

We wish Team Liquid best of luck this for the 2021 season, which opens this Friday, February 5th, where they’ll start right on top!

We are elated to share our 2020 annual report with you! Over this remarkable past year, Feminist Frequency has shifted the scope of our work to include bold efforts to end abuse in the games industry. We launched the Games and Online Harassment Hotline, which provides real-time, confidential emotional support to anyone who makes or plays games. Feminist Frequency also continued to fill the airwaves with feminist media criticism and pop culture analysis through our Feminist Frequency Radio Podcast and our Feminist Frequency Star Trek Podcast.

To take a closer look at all the places (physical and digital) we’ve been in 2020, and where we’re going in 2021, check out our annual report.

So much gratitude, as always, to everyone who follows, supports, and amplifies the work we do; you make all of this possible. Thank you.

Check out our breakdowns of E3 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, & 2019.

Starting on August 3rd, you can text SUPPORT to 23368 from anywhere in the USA. You can send messages at any time; we are active and replying from 4PM-7PM PT, Monday-Friday. After you answer a few quick automated questions, one of our trained agents will respond and talk to you about what you’re experiencing. Learn more about how we work!

To learn more about the hotline, how it works, why it started, and who it’s for please visit our website gameshotline.org

Help us spread the word! The more people who know the Hotline exists, the more that the folks who need it most will be able to get the support they need. Follow us and amplify on twitter, instagram, and youtube!

In short, what the numbers this year demonstrate is that the overall percentage of games that center female characters is not getting any higher, and that it remains consistently and significantly outstripped by games that center male heroes. As we comment in our analysis:

Of the 126 games we tallied from the E3 events held by Microsoft, Nintendo, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Square Enix, and EA, as well as the annual PC Gaming Show, a paltry six centered exclusively female protagonists, while almost five times as many, 28, centered male characters. (When you consider that we place role-playing games in which you control a party of heroes in our “multiple options” category, the numbers are even more dire, since a significant number of these games, including the Final Fantasy VII remake, Final Fantasy VIII, Dragon Quest XI, The Last Remnant Remastered, and others, clearly center male heroes.)

It’s true that the number of games in which you either control characters of different genders or get to choose the gender of your hero character significantly outstrip those with established male or female protagonists. And of course, as a general trend, the freedom to choose or create your own character is a welcome one. However, it’s fundamentally different from being asked by a game to take on the role and experiences of a specific character. A male player who is more comfortable with experiences that center men can and will simply play as men in games that offer him the choice. On the other hand, every player who comes to a game such as Wolfenstein: Youngblood must step into the shoes of a female character in order to play.

For our full statistical analysis of the games of E3 2019, as well as on-stage presenters and a look at violent vs. nonviolent gameplay mechanics, visit WIRED

Check out our breakdowns of E3 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.