Ready or Not is a tactical FPS that was released through Steam early access in December. There are plenty of positive reviews for the game on Steam, with many players comparing it to SWAT 4 or Rainbow Six Siege. However, not long after the game entered early access, some major controversy was stirred up after a split between the developer, Void Interactive, and the publisher, Team17. While many attributed the split to rumors about a school shooting level being added to the game, Void Interactive denied this was the reason. In this way, Ready or Not is reintroducing the well-worn arguments about video game violence and appropriateness, despite not actually having a school shooter level as of yet.
As a shooter, Ready or Not is preoccupied with a sense of reality and trying to recreate the experience of working on a SWAT team. While gritty realism may be the goal for developers, shooters like Ready or Not are largely played for escapism, fun, and camaraderie. Successful tactical shooters will have players meticulously planning their strategies to deal with clever AIs. So, the necessity for a school shooting level in this game is dubious, as is Void Interactive's reasoning for including one. Regardless of whether this was the real reason for the split with Team17, Ready or Not is a highly interesting case study of industry and fan response to controversial material, and the disconnect between controversial material and how it should be handled.
Team17 Departure
The split between Void Interactive and Team17 was announced only days after the game entered early access. While both companies described the split as amicable, speculation immediately began that this decision had been made based on a Reddit response by one of the developers. The Reddit post in question asked whether Ready or Not should include a school shooting level, and a developer working for Void Interactive replied "You better believe it's gonna." The Reddit post has since been deleted, and the question was initially asked as early promotional material for the game briefly featured some possible classroom settings. For clarification, the purpose of this proposed level would be to stop the school shooter, although the response from the Void developer was rather flippant considering the subject matter.
However, Void Interactive later released a lengthy statement regarding the controversy. The statement remained vague on whether Void has solid plans to introduce a school shooter level or not, and it's very possible they are fielding the response to the concept before making the final decision. However, part of the statement indicated that if there were a school shooting scenario, it would be to honor victims and first responders who deal with the stark reality of school shootings. The initial reaction to the very idea that such a level would be included highlights how the expectations that this matter would be handled skillfully and gracefully are low. That is not to speak to the quality of the game, but rather its appropriateness in tackling such intense trauma that affects more and more Americans.
Is the Controversy Worth It?
The fans of Ready or Not are pretty divided on whether a school shooting level should be included. Many see no need for it, while others have expressed some interest in playing it. Most of the critique surrounding this controversy has focused on the appropriateness of this particular game in handling such a heavy topic. However, regardless of Void's statement, it would be enormously difficult for any game to handle such a controversial issue unless it was the primary focus.
School shootings connect to a huge amount of other social and political issues, not least of which is gun control, and police presence in schools is a controversial measure in the face of these tragedies. As such, it seems like more than Ready or Not is equipped to deal with in a mature and nuanced manner, and without that nuance, then a school shooting level in the game would simply be a controversy for controversies sake.
Ready or Not is available now through early access on Steam.
