Valve bans school shooter game and its developer

The Steam store, launched in 2003, had over 150 million user accounts by 2018. — AFP Relaxnews

The owner and operator of computer game platform Steam has removed the widely criticised Active Shooter as well as its developer's existing catalog.

Previously set for a June 6 release, Active Shooter has been scrubbed from the Steam store, while its developer has been banned – and not for the first time.

"The developer and publisher is, in fact, a person ... who had previously been removed last fall" while operating under two other company names, Valve told Kotaku in the aftermath of the decision.

It cited "a history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation" for the previous ban.

"The broader conversation about Steam's content policies is one that we'll be addressing soon."

In the wake of multiple-casualty shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School (February) and Santa Fe High School (May), Active Shooter proposed a scenario in which players could choose to play as a SWAT team, the perpetrator, or an unarmed student.

The game's concept had been met with vociferous objections, particularly from those connected to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas tragedy.

A petition for the removal of Active Shooter started on Change.org has gathered over 192,000 signatures in four days. — AFP Relaxnews