Ebonix: 10 Years Of Increasing Black Representation In Gaming
For the past decade, Danielle Udogaranya, CEO and co-founder of Ebonix, has been one of the most influential voices championing Black representation in gaming.
“Ten years ago today, I stopped accepting what we were given as Black gamers: an afro, some Killmonger locs, a teeny weeny afro, and maybe a low cut fade,” Udogaranya shared in a recent TikTok video.
Now, as she marks ten years of reshaping virtual identity, she is celebrating the milestone with a new London exhibition, Black Lines of Code. The exhibition brings together more than 20 Black creatives to explore how representation shapes gaming and virtual media and how digital identity is limited, expanded, or defined by the tools players are given.
A Decade of Changing the Game
Udogaranya began creating her own assets for The Sims after growing tired of the scarce and stereotypical options available to Black players. She taught herself 3D modeling to create braids, locs, afros, and other protective styles and shared them online for players around the world to use.
Her work quickly took hold across the Sims community and eventually reached Electronic Arts (EA). In 2020, EA released more than 100 new skin tones, improved blending options, and new Black hairstyles in The Sims 4, crediting Udogaranya, fellow creator Xmiramira, and others whose advocacy had pushed the franchise to evolve.
“Games are mirrors,” Udogaranya said in the video. “And when we don’t see ourselves, it completely fractures how […] the world sees us.”
Through her business Ebonix, she now advises companies on character design, inclusive development pipelines, and culturally grounded aesthetics. She is also the co-founder of Black Twitch UK and the first Black British woman to become both a Twitch Partner and Ambassador.
Read: The Sims 4 Gets A Makeover With Authentic Black Hairstyles By Dark & Lovely And Ebonix
Black Lines of Code
Black Lines of Code brings together Black 3D artists, game developers, and digital innovators from the UK, US, Canada, Nigeria, and more. Featured contributors include Ebonix, UNORTHODOX, Kikovanity, ViinceJG, Atigré Xia, CocoEllean, Render Goddess, Syndicated Art, Quincy Woodard, Qimara, Lex Fefegha, and Yelzkizi, with additional artists set to be announced.
In addition to celebrating Black creativity, the exhibition aims to interrogate the systemic absence of Blackness in the gaming and spotlights the creators who have challenged that void.
Despite progress, representation in gaming remains uneven. Udogaranya’s work continues to show what’s possible when Black creators lead, not simply advise, to the design of our digital worlds.
Image credit: Ensemble
