US publishing arm Electronic Arts has laid out a new set of rules for playing online.

The firm has created the Positive Play Charter, which breaks down in very simple terms what the company expects from its users and what the consequences are for breaking these rules.

These are broken down into a few sections with clear dos and don'ts, and include treating other players as you would like to be treated, keeping things fair, sharing clean content and following local laws. If gamers break the rules, EA says it might restrict or revoke their access to services in order to make users reexamine how they behave. Those who are banned or suspended will receive an email detailing what they did and why this action has been taken.

Repeat offenders – or those behind severe instances – may have their EA account terminated for good.

"At EA, we believe in the power of positive play," the company wrote.

"Being part of a gaming community should be positive, fun, fair, and safe for all. Like with most communities, we have positive play guidelines to help make sure our games and services are an enjoyable experience for all players. Whether you’re new to gaming or have been an active player for years, we need your help to make this a community we all want to be part of."

In recent years, EA has been meeting with the games community to find out how it can try and curb toxicity in its services. The firm held the Healthy Communities Player Council at Gamescom 2019 following a summit about tackling bullying and harassment at that year's E3. 

In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests across the US and the world, EA Sports said that it won't "tolerate racism of any kind" in its games.