The fallout from Charlie Kirk’s shooting on September 10 continues to send ripples throughout the political landscape.
The gaming industry has not been immune to the ordeal, with Utah’s governor citing gaming among the reasons for the shooter’s violent rhetoric.
Now, in a new development, VOID Interactive, the studio behind the tactical FPS Ready or Not, has officially fired its community manager following a post on social media.
The statement read “nothing of value was lost”, and while it might be short, the impact and sentiment of the post was deemed a scalable offence by VOID Interactive. The since-deleted post led to the community manager losing their job.
VOID Interactive Responds Quickly
VOID Interactive wasted no time in addressing the controversy. In a statement posted to its official channels, the developer confirmed that the community manager responsible for the post had been removed from their role. The studio emphasized that the statement did not reflect the views of the company and reiterated its stance against any language that condones or trivializes real-world violence.
For a studio that has already been in the spotlight for the heavy subject matter of Ready or Not – a game that deals with terrorism, active shooters, and police intervention – distancing itself from comments like this was crucial. The team made clear it wants its game to be taken seriously as a tactical experience, not dragged into political discourse.
It comes after a Sucker Punch developer was fired earlier this month for comments made in relation to Charlie Kirk’s murder.
Games and Politics Rarely Mix Well
Apart from games that specifically tackle political and other real world issues – and do it well – the incident also highlights a broader issue the gaming industry faces in recent years, and that’s being caught in the political crossfire.
Gaming has always been a hot topic, especially considering it’s often blamed for helping to fuel violent and radical behaviour in formative years.
Developers being dragged into debates that extend far beyond their titles and capabilities is nothing new, but studios now need to be hyper-vigilant of what their staff says online. For VOID interactive, this is a strong reminder of just how quickly public perception can work to one’s disadvantage. A single comment can undo years of goodwill from their target audience, and in the age of screenshots and instant virality, there’s no walking back on statements like this.
