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Horror Game Devotion Will Be Preserved By Harvard Yenching Library

The superb horror game, developed by Taiwan studio Red Candle Games, launched on Steam in the spring of 2019, but after it was found to contain an unflattering reference to China’s president, Xi Jinping, it sparked an outcry among Chinese players that led to the withdrawal of its Chinese distributors, the closure of Red Candle’s account on Weibo, one of China’s largest social media platforms, and the removal of the game from Steam. A year later, and with a re-release looking unlikely, Red Candle has finally found a home for Devotion the Harvard-Yenching Library at Harvard University.

Red Candle Games quickly became one of the most intriguing horror game developers after releasing both Detention and Devotion to critical acclaim. However, the studio found itself entrapped in controversy after an in-game talisman was found displaying “Xi Jinping Winnie the Pooh,” which is a reference to a meme comparing the Chinese politician to the fictional character. Many Chinese gamers and politicians were offended by this. Despite its being removed from the game via a patch, the game was delisted from Steam in China, and its publisher cut ties with Red Candle Games. While the game has since been taken down worldwide, and the studio has no current plans on re-listing it on the store, it will be preserved thanks to the Harvard-Yenching Library.

Red Candle said:

“It’s an incredible honor that belongs not only to Red Candle but also to our fans / players worldwide,” “The Harvard-Yenching Library, formally founded in 1928, is known as the largest library in East Asia maintained by any American university. As game designers, we never thought that our work could one day be added to its prestigious collection. Although really We appreciate As recognition, we also take this opportunity to rethink the possibilities that our games could achieve.” “During the last year, we regret that our community cares. Although the current state may not be ideal, we are still here and that has not changed, we are and will always develop games with the same passion.” “Last but not least, we would like to express our gratitude to our partners, friends and families, especially a big thank you to all the fans who still believe in the Red Candle Games. It’s a difficult year for many of us, but will continue and, hopefully, in the future we could share more works with all of you. “

Devotion will reside on, then if not in your Steam library, then within the dusty halls of academia. But Devotion’s burial didn’t exist in a vacuum. Last July, contributor Khee Hoon Chan dove into how the backlash in opposition to the game, its builders and its publishers shook studios across the region a area that, on the time, was nonetheless reeling from the nation’s nine-month freeze on new game approvals.

The Taiwanese developer also gave an update on their status and vowed to continue creating games despite the controversy that Devotion faced. “For the past one year, we are sorry for making our community worried,” said Red Candle Games. “Although the current status might not be ideal, we are still here and that nothing has changed. We are and will always develop games with the same passion … It’s a tough year for many of us, but we will keep going, and hopefully in the future we could share more works with you all.”

Red Candle ended by apologising to their neighborhood for the powerful previous 12 months. It’s heartening to see the previous 12 months hasn’t shaken them off making games utterly, both, assuring their followers that they “will always develop games with the same passion.”