A chilling tale of a controversial game caught in a digital tug-of-war! The indie studio Santa Ragione is claiming they were left in the dark and fed misinformation by Epic Games regarding their provocative horror title, 'Horses.' This situation has raised serious questions about transparency and fairness in game distribution platforms.
Imagine pouring your heart and soul into a creative project, only to have it abruptly pulled from major storefronts. That's the predicament Santa Ragione found themselves in. After Valve initially decided not to host their game on Steam, Epic Games Store followed suit, leaving the developers in a precarious position, even hinting at the potential closure of their studio. But here's where it gets controversial...
Santa Ragione alleges that Epic Games not only "ghosted" them – meaning they stopped communicating – but also made statements about the game's content that were demonstrably false. In a public post, the studio stated, "Epic made provably incorrect statements about the game’s content, refused to provide details supporting their claims, and has not shared their claimed AO IARC certificate, which normally includes a link for the developer to appeal." They further expressed their disappointment, saying, "They do not ‘love [our] studio’, they have effectively ghosted us."
And this is the part most people miss... Santa Ragione argues that the game's content doesn't warrant an 'Adults Only' (AO) rating, pointing to readily available full walkthroughs on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, as well as its distribution on the Humble Store, as evidence. They believe these sources clearly show the game's content is not as problematic as Epic implied.
However, Epic Games has pushed back against these claims. In a statement to the press, Epic's senior communications manager, Brian Sharon, asserted that they did provide "context" regarding the policies 'Horses' violated. He explained that their team played the game and determined it contravened the Epic Games Store's Content Guidelines, specifically the 'Inappropriate Content' and 'Hateful or Abusive Content' policies. Epic claims they even conducted their own rating questionnaire, which resulted in an AO rating, a category they do not permit on their store. They also mentioned that because it wasn't an official submission from the developer, they don't have a certificate to share. Epic insists they reviewed the content again when the developers appealed and upheld their decision.
Despite these deplatforming issues, 'Horses' has managed to sell over 18,000 copies, generating a significant amount of revenue. This success, fueled by extensive coverage of the bans and positive player reactions, was enough to cover royalties and loans. Yet, the studio maintains that this financial success isn't enough to secure their long-term future.
This situation raises a critical question: When platforms make decisions that can significantly impact a developer's livelihood, what level of transparency and verifiable evidence should be expected? Should Epic's internal assessment of content, especially when disputed by the developer and seemingly contradicted by other platforms, be the final word? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Do you agree with Santa Ragione's stance, or do you believe Epic's actions were justified?
