Chloe Adams
Red Candle Games is an independent video game development studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. In February 2019, they released Devotion, a psychological horror video game set in Taiwan in the 1980s. The game received positive reviews initially, but its distribution in China was cut short after Chinese players discovered hidden easter eggs that included visual references mocking Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. This incident led to a review bomb by Chinese gamers, and the game was removed from Steam in China. Red Candle Games issued an apology and removed the game globally from Steam. The controversy also resulted in the blocking of their Sina Weibo account and the hiding of posts containing the hashtag #Devotion by Chinese censors.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason | Red Candle Games' video game Devotion included material that was illegal to distribute in China due to censorship laws. |
| Material | A controversial Easter egg referencing Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, was found in the game. |
| Impact | Devotion was heavily review bombed by Chinese gamers on Steam, and the game went from having "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews overall to being "Mostly Negative". |
| Action | Red Candle Games responded by patching out the offending art material and apologizing for the oversight. |
| Result | The game was removed from Steam in China on 23 February 2019. |
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What You'll Learn
- Red Candle Games' video game Devotion included hidden easter eggs mocking Xi Jinping
- The game was pulled in China and review-bombed by Chinese gamers
- Red Candle Games apologised and removed the game globally from Steam
- The Taiwanese Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai defended the game, saying that only in countries with democracy and freedom can creation be free from restrictions
- The game's removal raised concerns about the future of the Steam platform in China
Red Candle Games' video game Devotion included hidden easter eggs mocking Xi Jinping
Red Candle Games is a Taiwanese independent video game development studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. The studio gained recognition for its psychological horror video games, including Detention (2017) and Devotion (2019). Devotion, in particular, sparked controversy due to hidden Easter eggs that were perceived as mocking Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.
Devotion, set in Taiwan in the 1980s, was initially well-received upon its release in February 2019. However, the discovery of hidden Easter eggs within the game sparked outrage among Chinese players and led to a severe backlash. The Easter eggs in question included visual references and insults directed at Xi Jinping. One specific reference compared Xi Jinping to Winnie-the-Pooh, which was considered a symbol of resistance and mockery against the Chinese leader. This comparison incited negative sentiments from Chinese gamers, who viewed it as disrespectful towards their premier.
The game also included a talisman with the transcribed words "ní ma bā qì" (呢嘛叭唭) in Mandarin. When pronounced, this phrase sounds similar to "nǐ mā bā qī" (你媽八七) in Mandarin, which can be interpreted as "your mother (is a) moron." This was seen as a direct insult to Xi Jinping, further fueling the controversy. As a result of these hidden Easter eggs, Chinese gamers review-bombed Devotion, leading to a significant drop in the game's overall rating on Steam.
In response to the backlash, Red Candle Games issued an apology and removed the game globally from Steam. They also replaced the offending art material with a new talisman bearing a "Happy New Year" greeting. Despite these efforts, the controversy surrounding Devotion persisted, and the game faced challenges in terms of distribution and accessibility in China. The episode highlighted the tensions between Taiwan and China regarding censorship and the disputed independence of Taiwan, with Taiwan's Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai defending the game as a symbol of democracy and freedom of expression.
The incident had broader implications for the gaming industry, raising concerns about self-censorship and the influence of Chinese authorities on publishers and game developers. While Red Candle Games faced significant challenges due to the controversy, they continued to work on new projects and explored alternative distribution channels for their games.
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The game was pulled in China and review-bombed by Chinese gamers
Red Candle Games is a Taiwanese independent video game development studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. The studio gained attention for its game Devotion, a psychological horror video game set in Taiwan in the 1980s. The game was released in February 2019 and initially received positive reviews. However, it was soon discovered that the game contained hidden easter eggs that included visual references mocking Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party.
One of the easter eggs featured posters that said "Xi Jinping Winnie-the-Pooh moron." This was interpreted as a blatant disrespect towards the Chinese leader, as Winnie the Pooh had been banned in China after being considered a symbol of resistance and mockery against Xi Jinping. As a result, the game was heavily review-bombed by Chinese gamers, who left negative reviews and sentiments on Steam, causing the game's overall rating to drop from "Overwhelmingly Positive" to "Mostly Negative".
In response to the backlash, Red Candle Games issued an apology and removed the offending art material from the game, replacing it with a talisman that reads "Happy New Year." Despite their efforts, other aspects of the game were still analyzed as insults to China, leading to the game being pulled from Steam in China on February 23, 2019. The game was also removed from GOG's store just a few hours after it was announced that it would be available on the platform in December 2020.
Red Candle Games' Sina Weibo account remains blocked, and posts containing the hashtag #Devotion have been hidden by Chinese censors. The incident has raised concerns about the future of the Steam platform in China, which operates without official approval. It has also brought attention to the issue of censorship and the pressure put on publishers and game developers to conform to Chinese restrictions. While Red Candle Games is not in any legal trouble due to being based in Taiwan, they have had to find new publishers and self-publish their games to continue distributing them.
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Red Candle Games apologised and removed the game globally from Steam
Red Candle Games is a Taiwanese independent video game development studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. The studio is most known for developing the games Detention (2017), Devotion (2019), and Nine Sols (2024). Devotion, a psychological horror video game set in Taiwan in the 1980s, was released in February 2019 to initially positive reception. However, shortly after its release, Chinese players discovered hidden easter eggs in the game which included visual references mocking Xi Jinping, the president of China. This sparked controversy, and the game was heavily review-bombed by Chinese gamers, causing its overall rating to drop from "Overwhelmingly Positive" to "Mostly Negative".
In response to the incident, Red Candle Games issued an apology and removed the offending art material from the game, replacing it with a talisman that reads "Happy New Year". They explained that the original talisman was a placeholder that was supposed to be replaced and apologised for the oversight. Despite their efforts, other aspects of the game continued to be analysed as insults to China, leading to the game being removed from Steam in China on 23 February 2019. On 25 February 2019, Red Candle Games took the decision to remove Devotion from Steam globally to fix technical issues and confirm that no other hidden messages remained. They stated that the game was being pulled from the Steam store to conduct a complete QA check and ensure that no other unintended materials were inserted into the game.
The controversy surrounding Devotion resulted in Red Candle Games facing significant backlash and financial consequences. Publishers Indievent and Winking Skywalker cut ties with the company, leaving them liable for the losses incurred due to the controversy. Additionally, Red Candle Games' Sina Weibo account was blocked, and posts containing the hashtag #Devotion were hidden by Chinese censors. The episode raised concerns about the future of the Steam platform in China, which operates without official approval but has a significant number of Chinese users.
Despite the challenges, Red Candle Games remained resilient and continued to develop new projects. In December 2021, they announced their next game, Nine Sols, a 2D hand-drawn action-platformer with a unique \"Taopunk\" setting, blending cyberpunk with Taoism and Far Eastern mythology. They launched a crowdfunding campaign for Nine Sols in March 2022 and pledged NT $3 million. Red Candle Games also opened their own digital storefront in March 2021 to sell their games directly to players.
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The Taiwanese Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai defended the game, saying that only in countries with democracy and freedom can creation be free from restrictions
Red Candle Games is a Taiwanese independent video game development studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. The studio gained attention for its game Devotion, a psychological horror video game set in Taiwan in the 1980s. The game incorporated elements of Taiwanese culture and folk religion. However, shortly after its release in February 2019, Chinese players discovered hidden Easter eggs in the game that included visual references mocking Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. This sparked controversy and led to the game being pulled from the Chinese market and review-bombed by Chinese gamers.
Red Candle Games issued an apology and removed the offensive content, but the incident had already caused significant damage to the game's reputation in China. The game was initially released to positive reviews, but the discovery of the Easter eggs led to a shift in public sentiment, with many Chinese gamers expressing negative sentiments and considering it blatant disrespect towards their Premier. This controversy also raised concerns about the future of the Steam platform in China, which had a large number of users but no official approval to operate in the country.
Taiwan's Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai spoke out in defence of the game and Red Candle Games, stating that "only in countries with democracy and freedom can creation be free from restrictions". He emphasised the importance of creative freedom and democracy, subtly alluding to the censorship efforts of China. Chi-mai's statement highlighted the contrasting approaches to freedom of expression and creativity between Taiwan and China, with Taiwan valuing democratic principles that allow for unrestricted creation and distribution of artistic works.
The incident involving Red Candle Games and their game Devotion shed light on the ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China regarding censorship, propaganda, and independence. China has been accused of spreading black propaganda towards Taiwan, referring to them as a "rebel group" or a "breakaway province" rather than an independent state. Taiwan, on the other hand, has maintained its stance on independence and has resisted China's reunification campaigns. The controversy surrounding Devotion became entangled in these complex political dynamics, with Vice Premier Chen Chi-mai's defence of the game serving as a reminder of Taiwan's commitment to democracy and freedom of expression.
While Red Candle Games faced significant backlash and challenges due to the controversy, they persevered and continued to develop new games. They opened their own digital storefront in March 2021 to sell Devotion and their other games directly to players. The studio also launched a crowdfunding campaign for their next project, Nine Sols, in March 2022, showcasing their resilience and dedication to their craft despite the obstacles they encountered.
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The game's removal raised concerns about the future of the Steam platform in China
Red Candle Games is a Taiwanese independent video game development studio based in Taipei, Taiwan. The studio gained attention for its game Devotion, a psychological horror video game set in Taiwan in the 1980s. The game incorporated elements of Taiwanese culture and folk religion. However, shortly after its release on Steam in February 2019, it was removed from the platform due to controversial content.
Devotion included hidden Easter eggs that were interpreted as mocking Xi Jinping, the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party. Specifically, there were visual references that compared Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh, which was considered a symbol of resistance and mockery against the Chinese leader. This incited negative sentiments from Chinese gamers, who viewed it as disrespectful. As a result, the game was heavily review-bombed, and Red Candle Games issued an apology, removing the offending material.
Despite the removal of the controversial content, Devotion was ultimately taken down from Steam in China on February 23, 2019. This decision raised concerns about the future of the Steam platform in China. Steam did not have official approval to operate in China but had a significant user base of up to 30 million Chinese players. The situation highlighted the challenges faced by publishers and game developers in navigating censorship laws and pressure from the Chinese government.
The removal of Devotion from Steam in China brought into question the viability of the platform in the country. Without official approval, Steam's presence in China was already tenuous. The controversy surrounding Devotion and the subsequent actions taken by the Chinese government, such as revoking the license of Indievent, indicated an increasingly challenging environment for foreign gaming platforms.
The future of Steam in China became uncertain, and the incident with Devotion served as a precedent for potential further restrictions and censorship. Publishers and developers faced a difficult choice between adhering to Chinese regulations and maintaining creative freedom. The impact of this incident extended beyond Red Candle Games, affecting the broader gaming industry and raising questions about the ability of Western platforms like Steam to operate in China while navigating complex censorship issues.
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Frequently asked questions
Red Candle Games, a Taiwanese video game development studio, angered China with its game Devotion, which included an Easter egg that referenced Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party, in a negative light.
The Easter egg in question was a piece of paper that included the words "Xi Jinping, Winnie the Pooh" in small seal script. This was interpreted as an insult as Winnie the Pooh is sometimes used as an internet meme to mock the Chinese President.
Chinese gamers review-bombed Devotion, and the game went from having "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews to "Mostly Negative". The game was also removed from Steam in China on February 23, 2019, and Red Candle Games' Sina Weibo account remains blocked.
Red Candle Games issued an apology and explained that the offensive material was a placeholder that was supposed to be replaced. They also stated that they had no plans to re-release Devotion in the near term but would reconsider in the future.
