Launch Country
Saudi Arabia
Program
Traditional Mediums
Advertiser Category
Consumer Brand Health Initiative
Category
Early-Stage Prototype Innovation
Multiplayer games are built on teamwork. But for many autistic gamers, the biggest barrier is not the gameplay. It is communication.
Voice chat is fast, loud, and full of slang, coded instructions, and abrupt commands. Phrases like “Cover my six,” “Frag out,” or “Push B” can be difficult to decode in the moment. And when voice chat feels stressful, many autistic gamers do not complain. They withdraw. Not because they lack skill, but because the language was never designed with them in mind. As a result, many miss out on the world’s most popular multiplayer titles and drift toward solo games instead
stc set out to solve that problem by asking a simple question: what if every gamer in a multiplayer game could communicate without barriers?
The answer was not to change the gamers, but to change the way the game speaks.
Introducing The Social Decoder, a plug-and-play device that uses AI to interpret voice chat in real time and rephrase it into autism-friendly speech. It delivers the message in the teammate’s original voice, making it calmer, clearer, and easier to understand.
For example, it turns “Watch your 12!” into “Look straight ahead.” “Cover my back!” into “Watch for danger behind me.” “Res me” into “Bring me back to life.”
Developed with guidance from the Saudi Autism Center of Excellence, the tool was built around a custom gaming lexicon designed to reduce confusion and sensory overload, turning inclusion into a playable experience.
The Social Decoder was introduced at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, where autistic gamers were able to play live alongside others in a more accessible and supportive environment. It also helped spark a wider conversation around what inclusive play can look like in online gaming.
The Social Decoder shows how technology can support accessibility not by asking people to adapt, but by adapting the experience around their needs.