The game urging players to become “every woman’s worst nightmare” and “never take no for an answer” appears to have been removed from Steam after backlash and bans in several countries.
Developed by Zerat Games, the pornographic game No Mercy centers around rape and incest for entertainment. The players assume a role of a man who rapes his family members, including his mother and aunt, as punishment for his mother’s infidelity.
Described by developers as a “3D choice-driven adult visual novel with a huge focus on incest and male domination,” the game encourages players to “subdue” and “own” women. It was released on Steam, a games distribution platform owned by Valve, on March 22nd.
The game was selling for $11.99 for users in the US before it appeared to be no longer available on the platform following public backlash and calls from anti-violence groups to remove it.
Zerat Games posted on Steam that they had decided to remove No Mercy, stating that "it is still just a game" and calling critics "to be a bit more open about human fetishes that don't harm anyone, even though they may seem disgusting to you." The developers also said Steam and Valve "do a great job and are incredibly helpful."
Cybernews has contacted Valve for a statement.
The game was first brought to public attention by the UK-based radio station LBC, which reported that an an "incest and non-consensual sex" simulator was available on Steam, which is used by millions of users, including children.
Following public outcry, the game was made unavailable for download in Australia and Canada, and banned in the UK, where debate over dangers of so-called “incel culture” among boys – fueled by online platforms – has been reignited by the hit Netflix series Adolescence.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told LBC the game was “vile” and “truly appalling,” noting that such content is already illegal in the UK. She urged gaming and social media platforms to “show some responsibility.”
Cooper added that “stronger powers” are being introduced under the Online Safety Act to ensure platforms meet standards.
“Deeply disturbing”
Steam and its parent company Valve are facing criticism for failing to adequately remove harmful – and in some cases illegal – content from the platform. A Reddit campaign urged users to report the game and contact Valve directly to demand its removal.
An online petition was started by Collective Shout, an Australian campaign group, calling on Valve to remove the game globally. It said the game “promotes harmful stereotypes of masculinity based on violence and domination and reinforces male sexual entitlement to women’s bodies.”
It described the game as “deeply disturbing” and perpetuating violence against women by promoting the narrative that women deserve or desire rape and abuse.
“By treating rape as entertainment, No Mercy puts all women and girls at risk,” it said.
In 2019, Valve was forced to pull another rape-themed game, Rape Day, from its platform following global outcry. In the game, players assumed the role of a sociopath who rapes women during a zombie apocalypse.
Steam’s rules do not allow the publishing of content “that promotes hatred, violence, or discrimination against groups of people based on ethnicity, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation.”
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