Religious fighting game gets Steam banned in Malaysia

Valve has made an exception to its laissez faire approach to offensive content after one game saw the entire Steam storefront banned in Malaysia.

According to the Malay Mail Online, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission today ordered internet service providers to block web traffic to Steam for including in its catalog Fight of Gods, an Early Access fighting game with a roster including combatants like Jesus, Buddha, and Zeus. A minister with the commission told the site that Valve was given a 24-hour ultimatum to prevent Malaysians from downloading the game, but did not comply.

"(To ensure) solidarity, harmony and wellbeing of the multi-racial and multi-religious people in the country are the main objectives of the government," Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak told the site. "The government will not compromise with any action that can jeopardise these objectives."

A Valve representative told VentureBeat the company has now pulled the game from the Malaysian storefront, but continues to be blocked by some local ISPs.

"We have contacted the developer, removed the game, and are attempting to make contact with the officials in Malaysia to remove the block," he said. "We apologize for any inconvenience."

UPDATE 14/09/2017: After "formal communications" with authorities in Thailand, PQube has begun removing Fight of Gods from sale in the region, PCGamesN reports. Fortunately in this instance, Steam's service was not affected as it was in Malaysia.