Valve has taken down a controversial Mount & Blade Warband mod on Steam globally at the request of the South Korean government. The mod, called “Gwangju Running Man,” received a huge backlash for its distorted portrayal of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising, a significant event in South Korean history. This was the first time Valve has removed content worldwide following a government objection.

Why was the Mount & Blade Warband Gwangju Running Man mod removed?

The mod in question revived the medieval-themed Mount and Blade: Warband game in a modern setting, offering a right-wing retelling of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising. In 1980, protests against military dictator Chun Doo-hwan in South Korea were brutally suppressed by government forces, and according to official records, nearly 2,300 people were killed. The incident is considered a significant turning point in South Korea’s struggle for democracy and is commemorated with an official commemoration day.

However, the “Gwangju Running Man” mod has received a great deal of backlash for distorting the sensitive historical event by presenting a narrative that is sympathetic to Chun Doo-hwan and denigrating the protesters. This revisionist perspective, popular on South Korea’s right wing, has been criticized for trying to legitimize the massacres.

South Korea’s Game Rating and Administration Committee initially blocked the mod from distributing in the country. However, following a report by This Is Game on June 13, Valve was asked to remove the mod from Steam Workshop worldwide. Valve quickly complied with the request and blocked the mod globally. The move was notable for its generally hands-off content moderation policies.

Valve is generally cautious about removing content on Steam. The company only intervenes in cases of illegal content, platform manipulation, or strong negative reactions. Some of the previously similarly removed content include:

• No Mercy: A game that was banned in the UK, Canada, and Australia due to its +18 theme, and was pulled from sale globally by its developers.
• Domina: A gladiator simulation that was removed by Valve due to patch notes containing anti-trans rhetoric.
• Active Shooter: A school shooting game was banned due to the developer’s history of abuse and manipulation.
• Fursan al-Aqsa: An FPS game in which a Palestinian fighter kills IDF soldiers, banned in some countries.

The removal of the Gwangju Running Man mode is seen as a turning point in Valve acting on a government request rather than its own content policies. Critics have noted that this could raise concerns that more repressive governments could make similar demands. In particular, there have been concerns that Valve could repeat this type of intervention in another country, with less controversial content.