The controversial "Active Shooter" came slated to be released next month has been removed from online gaming store Steam after an outcry for it allowing players to step into the role of a school shooter or the SWAT officers trying to stop the shooting.
Kotaku reports Valve, the video game developer that created Steam, removed the game Tuesday after widespread disapproval of the game's content.
A Valve representative told Kotaku that the developer was a person calling himself Ata Berdiyev and is a "troll" who has a "history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation."
Valve released this full statement to First Coast News Tuesday night:
"We have removed the developer Revived Games and publisher ACID from Steam. This developer and publisher is, in fact, a person calling himself Ata Berdiyev, who had previously been removed last fall when he was operating as '[bc]Interactive' and 'Elusive Team.' Ata is a troll, with a history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation. His subsequent return under new business names was a fact that came to light as we investigated the controversy around his upcoming title. We are not going to do business with people who act like this towards our customers or Valve. The broader conversation about Steam’s content policies is one that we’ll be addressing soon."
The “Active Shooter” video game, set to be released June 6, lets players run around a school shooting cops and civilians.
Critics say it’s in poor taste, following the deadly school shootings in Parkland, Florida and Santa Fe, Texas.
“This is inexcusable,” said Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Florida) on Twitter. “Any company that develops a game like this in wake of such a horrific tragedy should be ashamed of itself.”
“Active Shooter” features an on-screen counter tallying how many civilians and cops the player has killed.
Revived Games is behind the first-person shooter. An account posting updates to the game links to ACID game publishing house of Russia.
"Active Shooter" also lets players take the role of SWAT officers trying to neutralize the shooter. The game description features a note to users.
“This is only meant to be the simulation and nothing else,” the note reads. “If you feel like hurting someone or people around you, please seek help from local psychiatrists or dial 911.”
A disclaimer says users should not attempt to recreate or mimic the actions or situations in the game and says the game is for players 18+.
Stan Chvetsov of Jacksonville is a fan of first-person shooting games but says that disclaimer won’t discourage kids and teens from playing it.
"No way,” Chvetsov said. “I just don't see it working that way.”
“Active Shooter” is set to be released on the Steam gaming community where users are jumping to the game’s defense.
“People need to understand if they don't like it, they don't need to play it, but don't censor something to the public for adults who want to play this,” one user said.
“It's pixels on a screen, and the meaning you affix to it is on you, not the creator,” said another.
Chvetsov says all it takes is one teen to turn a game into another tragedy.
"Maybe it can give kids an outlet so they don't actually do it in real life, but I also think it might give kids an idea to actually do the real thing,” Chvetsov said.
The school scenario is just the first in a growing environment that will eventually feature shops, gas stations and zombie environments, game designers said.
Digital producer Tyler White contributed to this story.