Dustborn developer Red Thread Games has released a statement decrying the “tidal wave of hate and abuse” that has surrounded the studio and game since its release last week.
Dustborn is an alt-history Americana road trip game that wears its politics on its sleeve: It’s a game about a “group of outcast queers and exploited workers [who] fight fascist cops and smash corporate drones while navigating new and evolving relationships,” as we put it in our June preview. It holds a “mostly positive” user rating on Steam and an aggregate critical score of 68 on Metacritic—by all appearances it’s a decent game targeting a pretty specific audience.
But it’s also attracted considerable “culture wars” backlash, as seen in various user reviews, YouTube videos, and Reddit threads where you’ll see the word “woke” used a lot. There’s also a not-insignificant amount of glee over Dustborn’s apparently modest launch sales, yet another example of the frankly pathetic eagerness some people have to grave dance on games they don’t like.
Ten days after Dustborn’s launch, Red Thread has had enough of it. “We expected Dustborn to spark conversation and debate, and looked forward to engaging with our players in a positive and constructive fashion,” the studio said in a message posted to social media. “Unfortunately, that conversation has been drowned out by a tidal wave of hate and abuse.
“We welcome thoughtful feedback and respectful criticism. We embrace discussion and debate. But we have zero tolerance for hate speech, harassment, and threats of any kind. Those who engage in such behavior will be removed from our community.”
Dustborn publisher Quantic Dream expressed “heartfelt support” for Red Thread Games in a retweet of the studio’s statement, adding, “We stand united against hate in all its forms and are committed to fostering communities built on understanding and respect.”
In a follow-up statement provided to PC Gamer, Red Thread said Dustborn is a game that “emphasizes the power of words and the importance of building an inclusive society where everyone belongs.”
Understandably, of course, there are limits to inclusion, and people who insist on being persistent dickholes because a videogame character uses gender-neutral pronouns are going to find themselves on the outside.
“We always welcome constructive input, however, we do not tolerate the spreading of hate,” the studio said. “We are aware of certain explicit and hateful comments on our various channels and have taken action to ban these users immediately. We want to remind players that we have a zero-tolerance policy for threats, hate speech, or harassment. We will continue striving to build a positive community where everyone feels safe to be their authentic self.”
If you’re curious about Dustborn—as a game, not a pawn in online culture wars stupidity—but not quite ready to commit, a demo is available on Steam.