Indie game banned in Malaysia for being religiously offensive

A new game that some find religiously offensive has been banned in one country—and it hasn’t even been released yet.

Taiwanese game developer Digital Crafter and U.K. Publisher PQube recently unveiled Fight of Gods, which is available on the digital gaming platform Steam. It’s a 2D fighting game that depicts religious figures and icons duking it out Street Fighter-style to be named the winner who will lead gamers to enlightenment. 

Footage of the game appeared online after gamers were given early access to test the game ahead of its debut. A playthrough from YouTuber BlackBelt Gaming shows Christianity’s Jesus taking on Odin in Asgard and beating Anubis in ancient Egyptian tombs before moving onto other fights set in iconic places like Mount Olympus.

Religious leaders in Malaysia have banned the game, citing possible religious tensions. A Malaysian government official previously called for a ban against Grand Theft Auto V in 2013 according to Kotaku. 

“Malaysians respect all cultural and religious sensitivities, and the sale and distribution of the religiously insensitive and blasphemous games must be stopped immediately,” government officials told Malaysian newspaper The Star. 

Some players reported being blocked from accessing Steam in Malaysia by Internet providers following the ban. Steam now appears to be accessible again in most cases, after parent company Valve pulled the banned game from the platform in Malaysia. 

Screengrab via Steam

Screengrab via Steam

Earlier this year, the game was a finalist for the 2017 Indie Prize award at independent game showcase Casual Connect Asia held in Singapore..

The fighting roster currently features Jesus, Odin, Buddha, GuanGong, Athena, Sif, Anubis, Moses, Amaterasu, Zeus with two play modes, arcade and versus.

Despite the controversy, the developers are sticking to their guns. They are currently taking requests for other gods gamers would like to see in the game.

We're listening to ALL character requests – we even have a dedicated topic on our Steam Community Hub for new suggestions. https://t.co/lLDvoPF7IL

— Fight Of Gods (@FightOfGods) September 6, 2017

H / T Mashable

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