Why GOG's Refusal To List This Horror Game Is Causing An Uproar
Red Candle Games' critically acclaimed first-person psychological horror game, Devotion, was set to make a comeback on the digital GOG platform, but now that's no longer the case. Earlier today, Red Candle Games announced that the title was going to be re-released exclusively on GOG, but the video game distributor pulled out of the deal just only a few hours after the statement. After pulling the rug out from underneath Red Candle Games and players alike, GOG is receiving a ton of online backlash.
Initially, Red Candle Games told players on Twitter that Devotion was set for a Dec. 18 release on GOG for $16.99. The publisher assured players that all in-game content would remain untouched, keeping true to the original 2019 release of the game. Red Candle Games closed its statement by thanking players for their support and wished them a happy New Year.
A few hours later, however, GOG announced it was no longer going to host Devotion on the platform. Making the statement on Twitter, the company offered a vague reason as to why it would pull out of this deal at the last second. "After receiving many messages from gamers, we have decided not to list the game in our store," GOG tweeted.
After the announcement, many angry gamers were confused by this last-minute reversal. Many fans who have been awaiting the return of Devotion were disappointed to learn that the game will still remain elusive. Other fans blamed the Chinese government for the situation, since the country's officials originally censored the game after a controversial Easter Egg was found by players in 2019.
When Devotion made its debut in 2019, the game was met with positive reception, but this was short-lived. Developers of the title had placed an in-game poster reading "Xi Jinping Winnie the Pooh moron," causing uproar among Chinese players. Memes comparing Chinese President Xi Jinping and Winnie the Pooh were previously banned by Chinese censors in 2017. After this poster was discovered in Devotion, Chinese players review-bombed the game on Steam, and Chinese officials banned it entirely. This controversy led to Red Candle Games taking Devotion off of Steam for an indefinite amount of time.
Red Candle Games has yet to issue a statement regarding this latest setback. The jump to GOG could have been exactly what Red Candle Games needed in order to keep its title available, but that's no longer an option. The game did have a physical release earlier this year, but it was only for a limited time. Since then, there has been no easy way to play Devotion. For now, players will just have to sit tight and hope that Red Candle Games might have an alternative solution to this problem.