Dove, in partnership with the Open Source Afro Hair Library, is launching Code My Crown, the world’s first comprehensive guide for coding natural hair in video games. This initiative comes in response to research revealing that 85 percent of Black gamers feel underrepresented in terms of textured hair in gaming characters.
Code My Crown aims to address this gap by providing a detailed guide for developers to accurately depict natural and protective hairstyles. The guide, created by Black 3D artists and developers, includes step-by-step instructions, 360-degree photo mapping and open-source code.
The initiative was launched on Dove’s website on Nov. 15.
The project enlisted a global team of Black artists, animators, programmers and academics to create 15 original hair sculpts, laying the foundation for a wide range of virtual hair possibilities. The goal is to enable Black gamers to see themselves as heroes in the virtual worlds they create.
Dove’s commitment to promoting natural hair extends beyond the virtual world. In 2019, Dove co-founded the CROWN Coalition to advocate against race-based hair discrimination.
In 2022, Dove launched Real Virtual Beauty, a series of actions aimed at shattering beauty stereotypes in gaming. Dove also introduced SuperU Story, the world’s first video game designed to build kids’ self-esteem, available on Roblox.
