Iraq War gameSix Days in Fallujahwas first announced in 2009 and immediately drummed up controversy for its desire to turn the horrific real-world events of the Second Battle of Fallujah into a video game. Thebacklash surrounding the originalSix Days in Fallujahwas so intense that Konami decided to drop out of being its publisher and the game itself was soon canceled. Fast forward to 2021, and now Highwire Games is looking to release a new version ofSix Days in Fallujah.
Just like in 2009 and 2010, there has been some intense backlash toSix Days in Fallujah. Game developers andIraq War veterans have spoken out againstSix Days in Fallujah, and publisher Victura has had to release several statements speaking in its defense. Now yet another group has criticizedSix Days in Fallujah, calling on Microsoft, Sony, and Valve to ban the game from sale on their digital marketplaces.
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Muslim advocacy group The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has released a statement onSix Days in Fallujah. In its statement, the group describesSix Days in Fallujahas “an Arab murder simulator” and said that it will “normalize violence” against Muslims. Further, the CAIR believes thatSix Days in Fallujahand other video games like it glorify real-life violence, justify the Iraq War, and “reinforce anti-Muslim sentiment.”
Neither developer Highwire Games nor publisher Victura have responded to CAIR’s comments at the time of this writing. However, Victura has addressed the general controversy surroundingSix Days in Fallujahin the past. That being said, some of the comments that the publisher has made aboutSix Days in Fallujahhave made the backlash against the game even more severe. For example, Victura received a lot of criticism when it saidSix Days in Fallujahisn’t trying to be a political commentary.
For the most part, the conversation surroundingSix Days in Fallujahhas been focused on the game’s controversial content.Six Days in Fallujahtrailers have mostly failed to steer the conversation in another direction, though there has been some buzz about what it’s bringing to the table gameplay-wise. One of the more interesting features in the game isSix Days in Fallujah’s procedural architecture, which could make for a unique first-person shooter experience.
Six Days in Fallujahis aiming for release in 2021, and so it seems unlikely that it will get canceled like the previous iteration of the game. Even so,Six Days in Fallujahwill likely remain mired controversy.
Six Days in Fallujahis launching this year for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
