Void Interactive didn’t split from Team17 over the shocking sounding idea…

On December 20, Void Interactive announced on Twitter that its SWAT/Rainbow Six-styled gameplay Ready or Not, set in a near-future, crumbling and corrupt US, will not be published by Team17: “Void Interactive and Team17 have mutually agreed that Team17 will no longer publish Ready or Not. We are confident that this is the right path for the future of Ready or Not, and we thank Team17 for their partnership and wish them great success with their spectrum of games!”

The game, available in early access since December 17, had a question on its subreddit, asking if the game would have a school shooting level. An answer by a Void dev was, “You better believe it’s gonna.” It was since deleted, but the Internet never forgets.

The timing seems awkward, but the official reason behind the split is not this subject. Still, Void published a statement that we’ll quote: “There is no easy way to address this issue without creating strong emotional responses from one group or another, but we will do our best. I would like to start by mentioning a quote from our original company documentation that we have always believed in, continue to believe in, and that has been known to anyone who has engaged in business with our company: “Void Interactive has a clear commitment to deliver high quality, impactful content that other mainstream software developers may shy away from due to cultural conventions and norms. At Void Interactive, we value the voice of our customers and partners and whilst this will not dictate our direction, we will allow it to influence what we do smartly. At its core, the game honours the work of dedicated law enforcement officers across the world and in no way intends to glorify cowardly criminal acts.”

We are dedicated to promoting a level of authenticity and realism in our videogame, Ready or Not, that carries with it complicated subject matter. We understand that this requires a particular responsibility—to our fans and community, yes. But also to those impacted by the traumatic events law enforcement all too often responds to. We have recently had to remind certain team members of the required care in discussing this material now and on an ongoing basis. Rest assured, we aim to handle all of Ready or Not’s content with the level of weight and respect that it warrants.

“School” is not just a part of Ready or Not’s story. It is part of the fabric of thousands of people’s stories worldwide. It is the story of those who have died too soon at the hands of a deranged gunman, the story of family and friends waiting for a phone call that might never come, the story of the first responders who do everything they can only for it not to be enough. It looks at an uncomfortable reality that has become all too common. We hope to play a small part in honouring those impacted by these real-world tragedies with a portrayal that does not trivialize their experiences. We will continue to follow our vision, we will continue to listen, and we will continue to work every day on Ready or Not. Thank you,” the studio wrote.

The alleged school shooting level doesn’t exist yet, and even if it does come to life, we can be sure that we would be in an interventional role, not as someone who commits the crime. In a third tweet, Void reassured us that Ready or Not would be a hardcore interactive tactical shooter, which so far has had good feedback: on Steam, 8300+ reviews scored it overwhelmingly positively.

Still, the situation is not easy, but perhaps it’s not as controversial as Six Days in Fallujah…

Source: PCGamer