The video game industry continues to evolve in a variety of ways, including the trend of prioritizing inclusivity and accessibility. From the likes of Microsoft developing the Xbox One Adaptive Controller that includes a thoughtfully designed interface, developed alongside people affected by physical impairments. However, the technology and video game giant isn’t the only one taking a step toward a more inclusive industry. As a matter of fact, so is Star Citizen.

In a recent developer update video from Star Citizen studio Cloud Imperium Games, their animation director, Steve Bender, provided the community with insight on the latest animation updates for the game. During his segment, Bender also reveals the studio’s efforts to cater to players with hearing impairments and it meant creating emotes in American Sign Language. He explained why:

As I was playing the game last year and I was talking with a lot of community members, we have a lot of community members that are hard of hearing or maybe deaf and they don’t interact with the game in the same way that someone who hears voice would do so. So we engaged one of our community members to work with us on coming up with a series of emotes for American Sign Language, so that our community members who are hearing-impaired can actually interact and roleplay in the world like how they would want to be doing.”

Inclusiveness makes the world a better place. While their decision may not affect the entirety or perhaps even the majority of the Star Citizen fan base, for those who can benefit from the new feature – it brings another realm of interaction and social possibilities for them. All of these efforts count to make gameplay a more enjoyable experience. Kudos to Cloud Imperium!

What do you think about Cloud Imperium Games taking that step for widening their breadth of incluvisity? Do you think the video game industry is steadily making accessibility a higher priority? Let us know what you think in the comments section below or start a conversation on Don’t Feed the Gamers Facebook page. To stay up to date on gaming and entertainment news as it happens, follow us on Twitter! Here are some of our latest:

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Star Citizen is available now on PC and Linux.