House of the Dragon actor shocked by online hate from gamers

A House of the Dragon actor who founded his own video game studio said he faced racial harassment and received hateful comments after a game was released.

Abubakar Salim, from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, has released Tales of Kenzera: Zau, a game about the grief he suffered after the death of his father, via Surgent Studios.

“It’s really about that human emotion of grief, my journey since losing my father… The fact that the story then turns to an ‘agenda to impose diversity’ tarnishes the message,” he said.

“We received – especially from me – some pretty strange messages and comments: racist and harassing remarks. I had to say something.”

In May, the 31-year-old actor posted a video on social media denouncing “the ongoing targeted harassment of people who view diversity as a threat.” It has been viewed 1.7 million times.

“It was a real shock, because I had intended to create a work only for my father,” he said.

Mr Salim, keen to understand what was motivating the hateful comments, began responding to some of the people who were sending him messages online.

“Nine times out of ten we came to an agreement: We just wanted to have a good time with the game,” he said.

“I’ve always said I love criticism. I think it’s just the nature of who I am as an actor. I always want to improve and get better.

“And then, at the same time, we see these people who fan these flames and who want this anger, who almost need it to feed themselves, and it’s a little sad.”

The studio’s founder said it was a symptom of wider problems in the industry.

“The video game industry is booming, but there are challenges that don’t reflect the performance of the games. It’s much more complex than that,” he said.

“It reflects the accessibility of funding and the systemic nature of how you get it. You have to wrestle with this ever-changing marketing space. That’s the reality of the video game industry.”

The actor currently stars in the Game of Thrones spin-off House of Dragon as Alyn of Hull.

The stars of another major fantasy TV series, Rings of Power, have also spoken out against racist abuse online, but Mr Salim praised his fans for their support.

“Anytime someone brings it up or says something stupid online, the House of the Dragon community jumps in and says, ‘What are you talking about? You’re okay with dragons, but black people are out of line? What are you taking, buddy?’”

He added: “It goes beyond games, movies and television – it extends to the world at large.

“It’s this feeling of making people feel like they’re the enemy, and there’s this divide when in reality, what we all really want is to enjoy life and have a good time.”