Video games Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead go offline for 2 hours in support of Black Lives Matter

Following the delayed releases and events of its gaming industry peers, Rockstar Games has announced that it will shut down online services for two of its games — Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online — for two hours today in support of Black Lives Matter.

Other high-profile game publishers like Activision and EA Games recently pulled back on their efforts to make space for more meaningful conversations in the wake of nationwide protests following the police-involved Minnesota death of George Floyd, while electronics giant Sony postponed a look at the upcoming PlayStation 5, saying that the company does "not feel that right now is a time for celebration." Rockstar is now going beyond the news cycle to shut down its already-released content.

From 2-4 PM ET, the online versions of GTA and Red Dead will go dark "to honor the legacy of George Floyd," according to a tweet by the official Rockstar account:

The account described the blackout as a "memorial" and requested that gamers, after observing the offline block, contribute to various charities and social justice efforts:

Rockstar is widely known for its successful open-world games, with GTA Online being the online component of Grand Theft Auto V (the second-highest selling game of all time) and Red Dead Online filling the same role for the hit Western game Red Dead Redemption 2 (the 13th highest-selling game of all time).

These gaming communities are thriving and populous, so shutting them down — even for a few hours in the middle of a weekday afternoon — is sure to make a statement.