Massacres in airports, beheadings of civilians, and encounters with the final boss Adolf Hitler: Here are gaming's controversies.

The next GTA game is set to release this autumn. (Photo: © AFP, Ritzau Scanpix)

When the gaming platform Roblox came under fire for allowing users to recreate Anders Breivik’s 2011 terror attack on Utøya, it wasn’t the first time a video game had sparked outrage or controversy.

Far from it.

Gaming is a cultural phenomenon on par with film, music, and sports.

It fuels debate and becomes a shared point of reference, but like all other forms of culture, it can also provoke strong emotions and backlash.

Let’s look at some past examples where video games caused a stir.

Unlike Roblox, where much of the content is user-generated, this list features games and missions created by their official developers.

An image from the trailer for the next game in the series, *GTA 6*. (Photo: © AFP Photo, AFP/Ritzau Scanpix)

No discussion of gaming can avoid the world’s most infamous series: *Grand Theft Auto* (*GTA*).

In short, *GTA* is about climbing the ranks in the criminal underworld—with all that entails.

Along the way, players can run red lights, rob banks, pick up prostitutes, shoot random civilians on the street, or even behead them with a samurai sword.

Since its debut in 1997, the series has been the subject of massive debate.

Due to its violent gameplay and the protagonist’s morally questionable code, lawyers, minority groups, politicians, and even Hollywood actors have sued the company behind the games, Rockstar Games.

The latest *GTA* game released in 2013, and the next one is expected this autumn.

The series has sold nearly half a billion copies worldwide.

*Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2* was released in 2009. (Photo: © Ina Fassbender, Reuters/Ritzau Scanpix)

Imagine a scenario where a group of Russian terrorists storm a crowded airport terminal.

The terrorists are armed to the teeth and exchange brief glances before raising their rifles and firing at will, turning the hall into a bloodbath.

You are one of the terrorists, free to shoot as many helpless civilians as you like without resistance.

This scenario was playable in the shooter game *Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2*, which launched in 2009.

In the mission, you play as a CIA agent infiltrating a Russian militia. The operation is a false-flag attack designed to provoke a global war by making the assault appear as an American initiative.

The massacre takes place in a Moscow airport, and the mission was titled *"No Russian"*—because speaking otherwise would reveal their nationality.

The developers behind the game, Infinity Ward and Activision, likely anticipated some controversy. The mission was always optional.

It was removed in several countries, including Japan and Germany. In the Russian version, the developers themselves cut the mission from the game entirely.

The title faced criticism for its graphic violence and frequent use of Nazi symbols.

In 1992, the shooter *Wolfenstein 3D* was released, set during World War II.

Here, you play as an Allied spy attempting to escape the Nazi castle of Wolfenstein.

On your way out, you shoot through German soldiers and massive shepherd dogs before facing the final obstacle and boss:

Adolf Hitler.

The game was criticized for its overt violence and, especially, its use of Nazi imagery. In Germany, where visible Nazi symbols are banned, the game was prohibited upon release.

In a later installment from 2014, Hitler in the German version lacks his mustache.

In 2018, the use of Nazi symbols in video games was permitted in Germany, and both the swastika and Hitler’s mustache returned.

The first *FIFA* game was released in 1993. (Photo: © Ina Fassbender, AFP/Ritzau Scanpix)

Over the past decade, particularly the last ten years, some game developers have made fortunes from *loot boxes*—randomized rewards players pay for, such as new players in *FIFA* or cosmetic upgrades in *Counter-Strike*.

You never know what you’ll get. Some rewards are rare and valuable, while most are commonplace.

While *loot boxes* in *Counter-Strike* offer no in-game advantage, *FIFA*’s rewards can include better players, strengthening your team.

This has led to criticism that they resemble gambling, especially when real money is involved. Several countries are considering regulations. (https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56614281)

The company behind *FIFA*, now known as *EA Sports FC* (Electronic Arts), earned over $1.6 billion in 2021 from the *Ultimate Team* format.

This figure also includes the same format in other Electronic Arts games, such as *Madden* and *NHL*.

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