Tactical shooter "Ready or Not" must be toned down for console release

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The tactical shooter “Ready or Not” thrives on its merciless realism: it simulates the operations of a SWAT special unit that has to resolve hostage situations and bomb threats. Every shot is fatal, every mistake is fatal – and the depiction of suffering and violence is uncompromising. At least that was the case until now: the developers had to adapt some of their content for the upcoming console release of the game, which was previously only available on PC.

The Irish development team Void Interactive writes about this in a blog entry. In addition to the 18+ age rating, console operators Sony and Microsoft have limits that games may not exceed. To be accepted on PlayStation and Xbox, the level of violence in some scenes had to be adjusted, writes Void Interactive.

For example, it will no longer be possible to dismember people after they die. The nudity of some characters has been toned down, as has the depiction of violence against children. “The changes in the console version are small enough that most people wouldn't notice them if we didn't say anything,” writes Void. But they want to be transparent.

Insight into console guidelines

The developers' blog entry is interesting for several reasons. On the one hand, it offers an insight into the content guidelines that Sony and Microsoft maintain for their game consoles. The PC platform Steam does have some loose rules and taboo content, but basically accepts every game for now. Console operators, on the other hand, check each title individually before it is published. Xbox and PlayStation are therefore much more curated than the PC platform. According to Void Interactive's blog entry, content that deals with violence against children seems to be a particular thorn in the side of console manufacturers.

On the other hand, Void Interactive speaks openly about the challenges associated with the content changes. According to this, adapted textures for the console version do not have to be adopted in the PC version. As an example, Void shows a virtual computer screenshot from the game, which shows a fictitious chat. The PC version shows photos of children and women in swimwear, while the console version hides the photos.

PC version will also be changed

On the other hand, other changed content must also be adopted on the PC. For example, the dismemberment after death will also be removed on the computer. The developers cite two reasons for this: Firstly, it increases the likelihood of bugs if the developers have to maintain two different versions of the game in the future. Secondly, it would make cross-platform play impossible.

“If the game content were not identical, cross-play would be impossible,” the developers write. “Game content must be the same or essentially the same for multiplayer to work. Different versions of assets affect multiplayer replication, i.e., the server's ability to understand what is happening in the game.”

Community is annoyed

The reaction of the PC community to the post is unsurprising: many players are unhappy that mitigations for the console versions also affect the PC version. Over the past few days, hundreds of negative reviews have been posted on Steam by users accusing the developer studio of self-censorship.

This is not the first controversy that Void Interactive has caused with the tactical shooter. Team17 was originally supposed to be the publisher for the shooter. However, after the studio announced that the game would also have a mission involving a school shooting spree, Team17 ended the collaboration.

The console version of “Ready or Not” will be released on July 15 for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5. The USK has given the console version an 18+ rating.

(dahe)