Devotion Initially Receives a Re-Release on GOG Before the Retailer Backs Down

Initially released at the beginning of concluding year, the Taiwanese horror gameDevotion from Red Candle Games had a brief shelf life on PC before being pulled in response to controversy. Specifically, before long after its debut on PC in February 2022, the horror game was pulled from sale due to an in-game reference mocking Chinese president Xi Jinping, which garnered an overwhelmingly negative reaction from Chinese players and prompted its removal on Steam and other digital platforms. While the game was prepare for a reappearance this week after its extended absence, it appears once again that it will be inaccessible in low-cal of the controversy surrounding it.

Earlier today, developer Red Candle Games had announced that Devotion would be returning for sale on GOG, making it the first time that the game could be purchased on PC since its removal in belatedly February 2022. According to its initial announcement, the game would have released through GOG for $16.99–its original price at launch–with the developer also stating that the game's content on GOG would exist unaltered from its original release.

Howdy friends, we want to share with yous– Cherry Candle volition publish #還願Devotion on December 18 on GOG.https://t.co/dlC6qzBiHx

The content and the price of the re-release remains the aforementioned, for $16.99 / €13.99

Thank you for your trust and support. We wish you a happy end of the year pic.twitter.com/peVPd7cyVo

— redcandlegames (@redcandlegames) Dec sixteen, 2022

All the same, within a few hours after the annunciation by Cherry Candle Games, GOG provided a statement that reversed form on the game's re-release through the PC market place. Specifically, GOG explained that "subsequently receiving many letters from gamers" following the announcement, the retailer decided to not list the game for sale.

Earlier today, it was announced that the game Devotion is coming to GOG. After receiving many letters from gamers, nosotros take decided not to listing the game in our shop.

— GOG.COM (@GOGcom) December sixteen, 2022

GOG's statement on the Devotion re-release was a chip vague, simply it'due south not hard to imagine that the announcement likely acquired a backlash in a similar vein to the game'due south original release early final year. Nonetheless, information technology is yet another unique case of the challenges that face games and digital distribution, much in the manner that fan frustration has surrounded digital games that ended upwardly being inaccessible to audiences similar that of P.T. and Konami.

In light of the game itself being inaccessible to players, Red Candle Games recently announced that a Tv set accommodation of the game is now available on Netflix, and that the studio itself is at work on its next game in evolution.

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Ryan Meitzler

Ryan is the Editor-in-Primary at DualShockers and has been a lover of games equally long as he can remember. He holds a BA in English language and Cinema and lives in New York City.