The new game SCUM is having a steep success ride. However, a tattoo with Nazi symbols in the game has now been removed.
SCUM is the game of the moment. A tough survival game about convicted criminals fighting for their survival. SCUM focuses on realism, but now overly realistic Nazi tattoos have been discovered in the game. These caused problems.
What kind of tattoo was it? It concerns a tattoo on the back of the head that contains Nazi symbolism. The tattoo shows, for example, “Nazi numbers”:
- 14 – stands for 14 words, which is a quote from a U.S. racist
- 88 stands for “HH” – Heil Hitler
These symbols and an Iron Cross were found in a tattoo that players could tattoo on their character’s back of the head.
The visible “A.C.A.B.” is the abbreviation for “All Cops are Bastards”, which is more like a gangster slogan.
How did players get the tattoo? The tattoo was included in the “Scum Supporter Pack” that was sold concurrently with the game. It is available for €8.19 on Steam and is an additional DLC with cosmetics.
Publisher says: We condemn this
What the publisher says Publisher Devolver Digital stated (via Polygon), they had used tattoos to portray a realistic picture of the terrible prison culture.
However, they do not agree with the use of such hate symbols – no matter what purpose they serve. They distance themselves from the symbols.
Devolver Digital agrees that these symbols should never have made it into the game and apologizes for it.
They present it as if they were only now made aware of these tattoos and their meanings.
What has happened now? The Nazi symbols have been removed from the game. The publisher wants to carefully scrutinize and review all assets.
Developers initially cited artistic freedom
What is behind this? The developers of the Croatian studio Gamepires had initially defended the use of the symbols in the discussion (via GameStar). They denied the Nazi accusations and stated that the game only depicts things as ugly as they are.
Anyone who is outraged about this should seek solutions elsewhere and not in SCUM. They cited artistic freedom.
Ultimately, however, they still removed the symbols.
It is quite conceivable that the Croatian developers reacted under pressure from the U.S. publisher. It seems they did not remove the symbols out of conviction.
The fact that the publisher now wants to comb the game for similar symbols suggests that Devolver will be more involved with this unexpected hit.
Other games had issues with hate symbols in-game:
