Six Days in Fallujah editor now says gambling is ‘inseparable from politics’

Almost a month after distancing himself from political statements, the editor of the controversial military shooter Six days in Fallujah backtracked and now says the events of the game are “inseparable from politics.” The game, which is set during the Second Battle of Fallujah in the Iraq War, has come under scrutiny for apparently portraying a US-centric focus on a campaign in which around 800 civilians Iraqis were killed, according to the Red Cross.

“We understand the events recreated in Six days in Fallujah are inseparable from politics ”, publisher Victura said in a statement on Twitter. “We believe the stories of this generation’s sacrifices are worth telling by the Marines, soldiers and civilians who were there,” Victura’s statement continued. “We are convinced that you will find the game – like the events it recreates – complex.”

This statement follows comments from Victura Founder and CEO Peter Tamte on how one of the goals of Six days in Fallujah is to help players understand the decisions made by US troops during the war, not to “make a political comment.” Tamte, in an interview with Polygon, mentionned:

“For us as a team, it’s really about helping players understand the complexity of urban combat. These are the experiences of that person who is now there because of political decisions. And we want to show how the choices that are made by policy makers affect the choices that are made. [a Marine] must do on the battlefield. Just like that [Marine] cannot question the choices of policy makers, we are not trying to make a political comment on whether the war itself was a good or a bad idea. “

The game uses a mix of military shooter gameplay and documentary segments to tell its story, based on information from “26 Iraqi civilians and dozens of military personnel. [who] shared the most difficult moments of their lives, ”according to Victura. Much of the game will focus on playing as soldiers, but there are also “high intensity stealth missions” where you play as an unarmed Iraqi civilian.

And if these missions are “informed by” interviews with Iraqi civilians, “very few people are curious about what it is like to be an Iraqi civilian, ”Tamte said in an interview in February with GamesIndustry.biz. “No one will play this game,” he added.

“At the end of the day, the reason people are going to play this game is that they want a more realistic combat experience,” he continued. “It is above all the experience that we have to offer.”

The game was first announced in April 2009, but its concept has been widely criticized. Konami, the game’s original publisher, dropped it later that month. The game was re-announced in February, now being developed by Highwire Games, whose co-founders include Halo veterans Jaime Griesemer and Marty O’Donnell, formerly of Bungie. Tamte de Victura also worked at Bungie, leading the commercialization of the first Halo, according to his LinkedIn.

Six days in Fallujah is coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X / S and Windows, with the goal of a “late 2021” release, according to an FAQ.