The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) announced on Tuesday that it has secured the support of Google and gaming distribution platform Steam in blocking access to the violent video game GoreBox in the Philippines.
The agency verified that GoreBox is no longer accessible through the Google Play Store and Steam; in addition, local players have reported the game unplayable on devices it had been installed in prior to the restriction.
The game is now unresponsive beyond its loading screen for players who installed the game from Google, according to the CICC’s Threat Monitoring Center.
“We welcome Google’s decision to work with the Philippine government in promoting a safer online environment especially for our children. With this restriction, we are assured that minors will no longer be able to access such a violent game,” Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda said in a statement.
“This also shows that collaboration between government and tech companies can deliver timely solutions to emerging digital risks,” he added.
Prior to the game’s restriction under Google, Steam had also temporarily barred access to it for users nationwide.
“We also laud this action by Steam as it recognizes the need for violent video games such as GoreBox to put in place strict safety measures that protect Filipino children from the possible dangers of repeated exposure to violent content,” said CICC Deputy Executive Director Alvin Navarro.
Last week, the CICC reached out to both major digital distribution platforms to raise its concerns over the accessibility of GoreBox to minors after authorities learned that the 14-year-old shooter in the tragic Tacloban school shooting was an avid player of the R-18 sandbox game.
The incident claimed the lives of 3 individuals and injured 20 more. Alias “Nash,” the suspect who plays GoreBox, will undergo long-term rehabilitation under the country’s juvenile justice framework. Meanwhile, the older suspect, identified only as “Rod,” 15, is facing multiple criminal charges, according to reports.
