An analysis of English-Thai translation strategies for swear words in the Far Cry 6 video game

As Thailand’s video game industry grows, the need for high-quality localization, particularly in translating offensive language, has become more critical. This study focuses on the Thai version of Far Cry 6, a game that has received much praise for its localization efforts. The objectives of this study were to investigate the swear words found in Far Cry 6, assess the level of offensiveness of these English swear words, and examine the common translation strategies used in translating these swear words from English to Thai. The data was collected from YouTube gaming videos of Far Cry 6 players, focusing on the game’s subtitles. The analysis revealed that of the 314 swear words identified from 15 operation missions, 13 main swear words included the words: Ass, Balls, Bastard, Bitch, Dick, Damn, Dickhead, Dumb, Fuck, Pissed, Pussy, Shit, and Whore. Of these swear words, the most offensive and frequent was the “Fuck" word family. The most frequently used translation strategy was “Taboo for Taboo.” The results suggest that translators should prioritize maintaining authenticity when localizing video games, especially when translating swear words, to ensure that the tone and intent of the game is preserved.