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 was racially targeted and received hateful comments after the release of a game.

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

“It’s truly about this human emotion of grief, my journey from losing my father… For the narrative to then be about an ‘agenda to force diversity’ tarnishes the message,” he said.

“We received quite – especially on my side – weird messages and comments: racially targeted and harassed. I had to say something.”

In May the the 31-year-old actor posted a video on social media calling out “constant targeted harassment from people who see diversity as a threat”. It has been viewed 1.7 million times.

“It was quite a shock because I had led with the intention to create a piece of work that was solely for my father,” he said.

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

“Nine times out of 10 we’d come to an agreement – we just really want to have a good time with the game,” he said.

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

“Then, at the same time, you see these people who stoke these flames and who want this anger, who almost need it to fuel themselves, and it’s a bit sad.”

On Tuesday, Surgent Studios announced it would be making layoffs to staff.

The studio founder said it was a symptom of wider issues in the industry.

“The games industry is booming, but there are struggles which are not a reflection of the performance of games. It’s a lot more complex that that,” he said.

“It’s a reflection of the accessibility of funding and the systemic nature of how to get it through. You have to wrestle with this ever-changing marketing space. That’s the reality of the games industry.”

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

Stars of another major fantasy TV series, Rings of Power, have also spoken out about racist abuse online, but Mr Salim praised his fans for being supportive.

“As soon as it’s mentioned, or someone says something stupid online, the House of the Dragon community just comes in, like, ‘What are you chatting about? You’re OK with dragons, but black people cross the line? What are you on, mate?'”

He added: “This goes beyond just games, the film and TV space – it goes into the world in general

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