'Nobody is born toxic' says Journey's creative director while preparing to launch the kindest MMO on PC

GamesMMOSky: Children of the Light’Nobody is born toxic' says Journey’s creative director while preparing to launch the kindest MMO on PCWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Thatgamecompany)

Sky: Children of the Light - a player gestures for you to follow as three others frolick in a grassy meadow

After the critical success of its emotional, musical adventureJourneyin 2012, Thatgamecompany’s creative director Jenova Chen had aspirations to reach a much broader audience of players. Journey was popular on console, with an audience that Chen jokingly described as men in their 30s who were conveniently journalists and awards judges, but “teenagers hated Journey,” he said. I must have been an outlier.

So Thatgamecompany decided to make an MMO, a genre that’s definitely popular with teens, but rarely synonymous with the wholesome, friendly experiences with strangers that Journey was known for. During an interview at GDC earlier this month, Chen told me all about the challenges of designing a non-toxic social space inSky: Children of the Light, just ahead of its PC launch.

(Image credit: Thatgamecompany)

Sky: Children of the Light - two players hold hands while being chased by alarge flying guardian enemy

Chen had been thinking about this problem back during Journey’s development too. During his GDC talk this year, “Designing to Reduce Toxicity in Online Games,” Chen described the many iterations of Journey’s core systems that it took to ensure that players would see each other as friendly collaborators instead of competition for resources. In the end, Thatgamecompany nailed it—all my memories of Journey are those magical moments with an unknown other player patiently guiding me through a tough area or walking into the light together at the game’s end.

“When we made Journey, that very person who was teabagging another person in Call of Duty was suddenly posting on our forum to say: ‘For that person who I was playing with, I’m so sorry I had to go. My mom called me for dinner,'” Chen says. “That’s the same player who was a nasty person in another game. So I realized that nobody is born toxic. It’s really just the environment we formed.”

(Image credit: Thatgamecompany)

Sky: Children of the Light - two players share an umbrella together in a rainy forest

Cultivating an anti-toxic environment became a critical part of Sky’s development. TGC utilizes tools for reporting and resolving offensive messages, but Chen said that his goal for Sky was to introduce positive, preventative measures rather than reacting after damage is already done.

“One of the most useful things we’re doing is that you have to earn your rights to apply your social power.“Jenova Chen

“One of the most useful things we’re doing is that you have to earn your rights to apply your social power.”

“You have to get a permit to get a shotgun, right?” (Thatgamecompany is based in the US, where this isn’t universally true, but for the sake of the argument let’s pretend you do.) “But shotguns are given to too many babies who are new to the online community. They have no understanding of social norms but they are basically blasting very controversial sentences because they’re eliciting maximum feedback.” Public text chat, for instance, is a staple in other MMOs that Sky just does not have. “One of the most useful things we’re doing is that you have to earn your rights to apply your social power,” Chen said.

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

One of Sky’s cornerstones is what Chen calls a “dual consent” system of socializing. In Sky, everyone you see around you is initially an indistinct silhouette. To even see one another’s in game appearance you need to both hold a candle out to each other signaling your agreement to interact. To become official friends, you both have to actually spend a candle, Sky’s main progression currency. To unlock additional interactions like emoting together, sending text chats to each other, and eventually teleporting to one another, you have to continue spending candles. They aren’t preventative rates, because you’re always continuing to earn candles as you play and explore, but offering them up to befriend another player is a signal of trust and goodwill.

(Image credit: Thatgamecompany)

Sky: Children of the Light - a player offers a candle of friendship to another

It’s now been almost five years since Sky: Children of the Light initially launched as a mobile app, and I’ve got high hopes that TCG’s anti-toxic design will hold up to the coming influx of PC players despite our reputation. And if not, it’s still going to be in early access a while yet.

Sky: Children of the Light is a free-to-play MMO that’s been in open beta on mobile and consoles. It launches in early accesson Steamon April 10.

How toadd a friendin Sky: Children of the LightHow to earnascended candlesin SkyHow to collectseasonal candlesin Sky

How to add a friendHow to earn ascended candlesHow to collect seasonal candles

How toadd a friendin Sky: Children of the LightHow to earnascended candlesin SkyHow to collectseasonal candlesin Sky

More about mmoWorld of Warcraft’s most recent patch soars with fun additions that last just long enoughWorld of Warcraft’s competitive dungeon mode is strugglingLatestWatching an all-romances speedrun of the legendarily janky Fallout: New Vegas is a delightSee more latest►

More about mmoWorld of Warcraft’s most recent patch soars with fun additions that last just long enoughWorld of Warcraft’s competitive dungeon mode is struggling

More about mmo

World of Warcraft’s most recent patch soars with fun additions that last just long enoughWorld of Warcraft’s competitive dungeon mode is struggling

Image for World of Warcraft’s most recent patch soars with fun additions that last just long enough

World of Warcraft’s most recent patch soars with fun additions that last just long enough

World of Warcraft Mythic Plus screenshot

World of Warcraft’s competitive dungeon mode is struggling

LatestWatching an all-romances speedrun of the legendarily janky Fallout: New Vegas is a delightSee more latest►

Latest

Watching an all-romances speedrun of the legendarily janky Fallout: New Vegas is a delight

null

Watching an all-romances speedrun of the legendarily janky Fallout: New Vegas is a delight

See more latest►

Most PopularThe Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in AprilLords of the Fallen publisher embraces fear of the DEI boogeyman, says it will not include ‘any social or political agendas’ in its gamesEpic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo videoSquare Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fansThe Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcementsPath of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better lootPalestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 NakbaPiranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod sceneSorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault

Most Popular

The Last of Us season 2 trailer is a brief look at a story you should probably just play yourself in April

Lords of the Fallen publisher embraces fear of the DEI boogeyman, says it will not include ‘any social or political agendas’ in its games

Epic CEO Tim Sweeney says tech leaders are ‘pretending to be Republicans’ to gain favor with Trump, skirt antitrust laws, and ultimately ‘rip off consumers and crush competitors’

If you’re trying to convince me your ‘companionship’ robot is ‘lifelike’, maybe don’t rip her face off in the demo video

Square Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fans

The Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcements

Path of Exile 2 numberlord spends 16 straight days killing rare monsters to prove that a stat that makes loot better makes better loot

Palestinian developer raises more than $200,000 to make Dreams on a Pillow, a game about the horrors of the 1948 Nakba

Piranha Games will lay off employees after Mechwarrior 5: Clans ‘performed below projections’

Marvel Rivals’ latest update quietly killed the game’s burgeoning mod scene

Sorry everyone, Minecraft 2 is cancelled, and it might be our fault

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals