Why Is The Red Cross Symbol BANNED In Military Games?

Why is this symbol illegal to use in military games?

Well that’s the sign of the red cross and you better not abuse it or you could be committing a war crime.

The red cross was initially set up in 1863 by a Swiss businessman Henry Dunant after he witnessed the Battle of Solferino. He noticed many of the soldiers were left to die on the battlefield with no first aid or care.

He therefore set up the organisation to be a neutral group of volunteers who could impartially provide health services during times of war.

So in 1864 he got a group of countries to agree not to attack medical personnel and the wounded, now known as the first geneva convention. These medics would wear the newly establish red cross, an invented swiss flag, an homage to Dunant’s home nation.

This was also when the Iconic red cross emblem was adopted and was simply an inverted Swiss flag, an homage to Dunant’s home nation.

But it wasn’t until 1949 and 1977 when the sanctity of the symbol was formally protected under additions to the geneva convention stating that use of the symbol for anything other than humanitarian work can constitute a misuse of the emblem and could be constituted as a war crime or be illegal depending on which country you're in.

This was to protect the meaning of the symbol, i.e. don’t shoot this person. The fear was overuse and saturation of the emblem would result in people ignoring the sign on the battlefield resulting in red cross volunteers being killed or harmed.

This has meant that games like Halo and doom have had to change their health pack symbol

[elgabriel]

That means TF2 Medic is so meta that he's commiting war crimes both in the game and in real life

[michaelbracho]

In war thunder, i love putting the red cross on my tanks for giggles

[littlemouseboi]

I do think it's a bit silly to prevent media, which people commonly consume at a younger age, from displaying something that could save their life one day. I didn't know what the red cross was, but I did know that the symbol on the medpack in Halo was health, and that if I was hurt I go there to get healed. When I saw the symbol in real life, I understood it meant health because of Halo.

[pablo_]

Literally learned about the battle of Solferino in my last history lesson

[novavqz]

Fun fact: Stardew Valley had a patch where "A war crime was removed". Changing the symbol of the medical clinic of the town for this exact reason.

[TimPletnev-jefc]

I've listened to the tf2 medic ost so many times that as soon as the video of him stepping out of the gates played out the guitar riff immediately started playing in my head 💀

[EggedAegis]

“Hey so all these young people are associating our symbol and namesake as a lifeline and symbol of safety..”
“BAN IT, NO ONE CAN USE IT!”

[ThatIsPristine]

In tf2 the medic is the first priorty to eliminate. Which is quite logical and i dont understand parallel of irl.

[Heavy-TF]

Lmao they don't understand the meta, you gotta target the healers and support before the opposite team builds up a counterpush

[Randomperson-nekp]

Fun fact Japan and the Soviet Union didn’t sign the agreement on not killing medics, so to them they were free game and thus you can see medics with no symbols (especially in the Pacific Theater for the US, since the Japanese would target US medics first) and are armed with either carbines or pistols to protect themselves

[fuzzenstein]

Video games taught me that this symbol meant health and aid. I don’t think that’s a bad thing.

[shadowwally]

As a young child playing video games I shouldn't have seeing the red cross in games told me "Go here for health" and that thought me early to go to the big buildings (hospitals) if I'm hurt

[agentx]

In a VIDEO GAME? They care about that in a VIDEO GAME? Just exactly how stupid are the people that make laws?

[voxobscura]

I'm all for a neutral, protected medical cadre.

But how is the symbols use in a game or movie or anything else going to negatively affect the treatment of medical personnel in the field?

If anything, I'd expect permeating popular culture with the symbol would train people from an early age to be familiar with the symbol and respect the sanctity of medical personnel in a warzone.

[WhisperXK]

I honestly dont understand that line of thinking, at most they should regulate how its depicted. People of all ages should know that symbol means health/safety

[danielsgames]

The Red Cross is dilating it's own meaning and purpose all of their own

[fuzzies]

Stardew valley had war crimes because of that, their medical center had the Red Cross symbol

[raptorprimal]

It's literally a damn cross. Stupid ass law

[DerthertOfficial]

I remember in the old cods people would run around with this symbol on them

[TheChickenIndisguise]

Imagine in war you just heard someone yell, “Why is no one going for the supports!?”