GOG walks back release of controversial horror game Devotion
Hours after announcing it would bring controversial horror game Devotion to its platform, CD Projekt Red’s digital storefront GOG has reneged on its release plans. The company’s social media account claims that “after receiving many messages from gamers, we have decided not to list the game in our store.”
Devotion has been at the center of a censorship controversy since release last year, after players found in-game content that referred to Xi Jinping, the president of China, as a “Winnie-the-Pooh moron.” The Chinese leader is notoriously sensitive to the cartoon bear, to which memers have continuously compared him; the movie Christopher Robin did not get a Chinese release. Mentions of comedian John Oliver were outright censored on social media after a segment that mentioned the Winnie the Pooh comparisons. Players review-bombed the game, and the developer pulled it from Steam shortly after.
At the time, Taiwanese developer Red Candle Games issued several apologies, first claiming that they’d pulled the game due to a QA check, and that the art’s inclusion was a mistake. The developer later addressed the art in question more thoroughly. “We failed our players’ anticipation and offended many others due to the said mistake,” Red Candle Games wrote on Steam. “For that, we feel awfully sorry and devastated … Red Candle Games take full responsibility and bear all the condemns. We sincerely hope that this end with Red Candle, and that please do not take it out on all the innocent partners.”
In the months following, Devotion struggled to find a new home. In a statement printed by The Verge’s sister site Polygon, Red Candle Games said that “in the aftermath of the incident, some still possess different speculations about Devotion. As regretful as the incident was, we have to bear its full consequence. We hope for a second chance in the near future. A chance to prove that, both Red Candle and its partner simply wanted to create a great game and no one wished for such incident to occur.”
It’s been a busy news cycle for CD Projekt Red — better known as a developer than for its PC storefront — over the past week. The studio’s highly anticipated release Cyberpunk 2077 has been plagued with technical issues and demands for refunds. Meanwhile, GOG is notorious for posting insensitive material on social media, in keeping with CD Projekt Red’s habit of appealing to an edgy fan base.
Red Candle Games’ announcement that Devotion would finally find a home on GOG, however, has been short-lived. We’ve reached out to GOG for comment and will update accordingly.
Hours after announcing it would bring controversial horror game Devotion to its platform, CD Projekt Red’s digital storefront GOG has reneged on its release plans. The company’s social media account claims that “after receiving many messages from gamers, we have decided not to list the game in our store.” Devotion…
Recent Posts
- Google’s new ‘Add to Chromebook’ badge makes web apps easier to find and install
- Wisconsin man arrested for allegedly creating AI-generated child sexual abuse material
- Samsung’s new Galaxy Book4 Edge laptop is a trifecta of next-gen AI power
- The August smart lock finally gets a fingerprint option
- Google slams Microsoft security failures, offers software discounts in bid to poach customers
Archives
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- December 2011