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‘Ready Or Not’ disappears from Steam after adding tasteless nightclub massacre level on anniversary of Pulse club shooting (UPDATE: trademark dispute)

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Loudninja

Loudninja

Member
Oct 27, 2017
42,317
Who had the stupid idea to add something like this.
The Steam page for tactical shooter Ready Or Not has been removed, several days after it added a level depicting a mass shooting at a nightclub – on the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting.

As of yesterday (June 16), the Steam page for Ready Or Not is unavailable, and trying to access the page via google redirects users to the Steam storefront's homepage.

Trying to access news articles posted by the Ready Or Not from the UK provides the following message: "An error was encountered while processing your request: This item is currently unavailable in your region".

Last night, Void Interactive confirmed that "Ready Or Not is temporarily MIA from the Steam store page," and shared that it is "looking into this with Steam and will have an update for our players very soon".
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It's unclear whether Ready Or Not has been deliberately de-platformed by Steam, or if it is just an error on Valve's part. However, the removal comes several days after the Supporter edition of Ready Or Not was updated to include a new map set in a nightclub called Prysm.

Pysm takes place in the aftermath of a terrorist attack at a nightclub, and depicts the scene of a mass shooting, with piles of bodies strewn across the map. The level bears some resemblance to the 2015 Bataclan shooting in Paris, as well as the 2016 shooting at Pulse nightclub. Questionably, the map was added on June 12 – the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
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While no connection has been confirmed, Valve has removed games depicting similar scenes in the past – in 2018, Valve de-platformed a game called Active Shooter after complaints from campaigns from parents of school shooting victims.
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www.nme.com

'Ready Or Not' disappears from Steam after adding nightclub massacre level

'Ready Or Not' is currently unavailable on Steam, days after it added a mass shooting level on the anniversary of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
www.nme.com www.nme.com

www.gamesindustry.biz

Ready or Not pulled from Steam after adding nightclub shooting level

Update, June 20, 2022: Ready Or Not is back on Steam, after developer Void Interactive said the removal was due to a "s…
www.gamesindustry.biz www.gamesindustry.biz
 
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Bane

Bane

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
5,906
This was the game with the school shooting level, yes? Hard to think it wasn't intentional.
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
50,134
If they keep putting their feet in their mouths in the exact same way, maybe it's just because that's where they want their feet to be.
 
Drachen

Drachen

Member
May 3, 2021
6,035
I gave these developers the benefit of the doubt in the past, but... no way. There's just no way you do this unintentionally.
 
Lobster Roll

Lobster Roll

signature-less, now and forever™
Member
Sep 24, 2019
34,716
Yeah, these are the kind of decisions that should land people like these developers on a list where they're monitored. Red flags.
 
Beanbeany

Beanbeany

Member
Apr 25, 2022
2,149
I didn't know this about the devs, thats a shame because the game is fantastic for an alpha.
 
Xeonidus

Xeonidus

“Fuck them kids.”
Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,356
This is the game with the school shooting map? Yeah, fuck these guys. Hope they don't come back. They got away with it once and lo and behold are at it again. Don't give people like this an inch.
 
L Thammy

L Thammy

Spacenoid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
50,134
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OaklandKao

OaklandKao

Member
Mar 21, 2022
2,923
I'd say that VOID is tone-deaf as all get out, but...

In an early review for Kotaku, Ethan Gach called Ready or Not a "tactical horror game" and "an unsettling SWAT fantasy", praising its atmosphere but also criticizing it as tasteless due to insensitivity towards American police brutality and jarring tonal shifts between crude humor and dark drama. Gach also unfavorably highlighted apparent references to alt-right memes such as Redpill, the use of "Jogger" as a racist euphemism (in reference to Ahmaud Arbery).
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Gestault

Gestault

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,522
This goes so far into bad taste that I have honest concerns about the developers. The de-listing (even if temporary) speaks to (1) good moderation on Valve's end and (2) just how far the devs went that even Steam has taken action.

Edit: It looks like Valve is just incompetent, rather than having any desire to moderate their platform.
 
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Foffy

Foffy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,405
Feels like this game is becoming a complete Monkey's Paw of "I want a new SWAT game!"

When it's like SWAT 4, I think that's what people really like out of it. But then you have shit like this. Given previous controversies, this feels on purpose. A nightclub scenario is absolutely not new in a game like this -- SWAT 4 literally has one -- but you timed to release it on a dark anniversary?
 
hydruxo

hydruxo

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
20,613
Has to be intentional. After the same devs for this game did that school shooting level I wouldn't give them the benefit of the doubt. They're going for a specific audience here.
 
OaklandKao

OaklandKao

Member
Mar 21, 2022
2,923
Foffy said:
Feels like this game is becoming a complete Monkey's Paw of "I want a new SWAT game!"

When it's like SWAT 4, I think that's what people really like out of it. But then you have shit like this. Given previous controversies, this feels on purpose. A nightclub scenario is absolutely not new in a game like this -- SWAT 4 literally has one -- but you timed to release it on a dark anniversary?
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Exactly. I feel anything this game has pulled by themselves would seem fine, but when mixed with everything else it does, it no longer comes off as coincidental.
 
OnionPowder

OnionPowder

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,366
Orlando, FL
I am so fucking mad that somebody would even think of doing ANYTHING like this in relation to Pulse. That's my neighborhood, that's where my friends and family went out to on their weekends. The LGBTQ scene in Orlando is huge, and we're still hurting from the loss.

There's no excuse, I hope Steam pulled that shit and the devs never get put back on.

I will avoid saying more to not force the mods to ban me.
 
finaljedi

finaljedi

Member
Jul 15, 2018
530
Cincinnati, OH
Foffy said:
Feels like this game is becoming a complete Monkey's Paw of "I want a new SWAT game!"

When it's like SWAT 4, I think that's what people really like out of it. But then you have shit like this. Given previous controversies, this feels on purpose. A nightclub scenario is absolutely not new in a game like this -- SWAT 4 literally has one -- but you timed to release it on a dark anniversary?
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Wasn't that like a white supremacist biker bar and a gang clash inside? Or am I thinking of a different level. Anyhow I'd like a new SWAT game not made by shitty edgelords. A tactical shooter where you don't just kill everyone is a nice change, but the only one we get is this shit.
 
headspawn

headspawn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,672
Just incase anyone was wondering whether or not they had an agenda, they make it crystal clear for you.
 
Aangster

Aangster

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,652
That nightclub map has been accessible in the game for some time now as a "white box" level without finished art, featuring the same location layout, perp and patron characters .

Making the anniversary connection with the game's removal is honestly nonsense. It would've been removed ages ago if that was somehow actually the case.

However, the removal comes several days after the Supporter edition of Ready Or Not was updated to include a new map set in a nightclub called Prysm.
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OP
OP
Loudninja

Loudninja

Member
Oct 27, 2017
42,317
Aangster said:
That nightclub map has been accessible in the game for some time now as a "white box" level without finished art, featuring the same location layout, perp and patron characters .

Making the anniversary connection with its removal is honestly nonsense. The game would've been removed ages ago.
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The map is new no matter what form it was played in they release the map 3 days ago an people are paying it like its new.
 

Deleted member 13798

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
12,374
They're clearly trying to pull off what SWAT 4 did with its levels and uncomfortable details. That game has some really upsetting stuff in it but still manages to frame it in a way that doesn't come across as tasteless and tone deaf.

Something about these particular developers has that uncanny feeling of 4chan to it.
 
5taquitos

5taquitos

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,009
OR
If this game was truly realistic, you'd stand outside for 45 minutes while the shooter kills a bunch of people and then go to the media and blame the doors.
 
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