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Skullgirls got review-bombed on Steam after some art changes

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Skullgirls 2nd Encore from Hidden Variable Studios and Autumn Games is having some community issues lately, with it getting review-bombed after a recent update.

What's going on exactly? Skullgirls now has a Mostly Negative recent user review rating on Steam, and you can clearly see the masses that have been flocking to the Steam page to let their feelings be known:

The why: on June 26th the developers announced some changes to existing content in the game and the Digital Art Compendium. The full list of changes can be seen here and it's not a long list so it's an easy overview. The developers made a longer post a few days before to explain why.

Reading through the updates were done "in the spirit of better reflecting our values and our broad vision for Skullgirls moving forward" which include removing Nazi-like depictions including armbands and symbols, adjusting some character artwork to remove sexualization of younger characters and racial stereotype issues they believed to be in poor taste.

Overall, the tweaks they've made seem quite small but this hasn't stopped the wave of negativity with user reviews complaining about "censorship" and going "woke". It's not entirely negative though, as a few hundred have also come along to leave a positive review but not enough to stop the overall recent review score looking really bad.

This YouTube video does a good look at some of the changes. Some are really a blink and you'll miss it type of deal and most players probably wouldn't even notice:

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Since the update around 3,449 negative reviews have been posted against 868 positive reviews, and it looks like the initial reaction is now dying off.

It does also bring up the interesting topic of how in the age of the internet and the likes of Steam, even games 10 years old can suddenly have changes you really might not like. Even when they're not technically some online-only "live service" type of thing.

Skullgirls certainly hasn't had the best history, with the original studio Lab Zero collapsing after a bunch of developers quit accusing the owner Mike Zaimont of various counts of inappropriate behaviour. After this Lab Zero laid off everyone else who hadn't quit.

You can buy a copy of Skullgirls from Humble Store and Steam.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
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106 comments
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Koopacabras Jul 4, 2023
Quoting: Ehvis
Quoting: melkemindLastly, there really is no justification for hating the removal of racist imagery unless you're racist yourself. People these days are really good at telling on themselves.

There's really no justification for hating the removal of violence unless you're violent yourself.

If we start with that attitude, we can continue until nothing is left.
did they remove violence on the game?


Last edited by Koopacabras on 4 July 2023 at 4:02 pm UTC
Koopacabras Jul 4, 2023
Quoting: melkemindThe reality is that people who are actually upset enough about this to actually review bomb are likely white supremacists themselves, even if they're too cowardly to admit it.

Also, it's telling that they'd get upset over the removal of sexual exploitation of young characters. It's not like they removed all sexy outfits or anything, only predatory depictions of young characters. Why would that bother someone unless they get off on exploiting young girls?

Lastly, there really is no justification for hating the removal of racist imagery unless you're racist yourself. People these days are really good at telling on themselves.

I agree, someone had to say it, if lets say they'd remove another subject from the game, for example something violent... there wouldnt be such a clear association with the most prominent political groups that would be protesting about that... there is a context here that can't be ignored. I bet white supremacists are rubbing their hands watching how this got review bombed. I dont know what to think really, all of this people review bombing are racists ? or some of them are really dumb and easy prey of the supremacists?

At least I have to agree that these persons have no shame into siding with white supremacists, because they are the ones rubbing their hands the most with this. So it's hard to not conclude they are not white supremacists too.


Last edited by Koopacabras on 4 July 2023 at 4:36 pm UTC
Schattenspiegel Jul 4, 2023
So they removed the one clear and instantly noticeable indicator of group membership for some of these characters - that does not seem like a smart move somehow. The Bigband changes seem also counterproductive. And, skipping through the video, most of the other just makes one wonder how someone managed to get their panties in a twist over them and on top of that paid for altering them. An impressive feat!
slaapliedje Jul 4, 2023
Quoting: melkemindThe reality is that people who are actually upset enough about this to actually review bomb are likely white supremacists themselves, even if they're too cowardly to admit it.

Also, it's telling that they'd get upset over the removal of sexual exploitation of young characters. It's not like they removed all sexy outfits or anything, only predatory depictions of young characters. Why would that bother someone unless they get off on exploiting young girls?

Lastly, there really is no justification for hating the removal of racist imagery unless you're racist yourself. People these days are really good at telling on themselves.
I never really played the game, but I think people are missing the biggest point here...

It isn't about this game. It's about any other game you DO play. This is a slap in the face for those that think they 'own' their library of games, when they can just be patched to break something you like about it, or there can always be a patch that just causes it to crash. It's actually one of the things that I think is going to make it very hard for the Steam Deck, as things can get verified for one patch, then completely stop working with another.

Unfortunately there isn't a fix for this. Sure you can turn off auto-updates, but what if you have a game in your library that has been there for ages, but you haven't downloaded it. You'll always get the latest.

As far as hating on removal of racist imagery making you a racist? What if it is important to the story line that you are taking out a band of racists, but some sensitivity editor decides that shouldn't be in the game, and now you're just killing a bunch of random people? :P
MisterPaytwick Jul 4, 2023
I don't really get it.

I mean, the point about an underage character being a mascot of panty shots, I do, it's pretty bad actually.

Removing the nazi-like symbols of the bad guys? Doesn't it give off that great of a vibe for me. I mean, they are, bare the BBEG of the game, the baddies. It's not like it's put midly, they are the baddies.

Like taking out the issue of a character? I don't know about that either, does it actually keep the story intact? Does it make the character more generic? I'll be honest, I stopped playing that a while back, I don't know the specifics here.

At the end of the day, it sounds more to me like a moronic move to try to make the game "safer" (again, not the panty shot issue, like I don't even know why it was there to begin with...) over trying to tell the best story with the more possible range (All in all it's a fighting game, that it has some story is a strong point). But it's also an absolute turd flinging fight to review bomb the game for those changes.

At the end of the day, it'd have just been better to have a toggle for that and just alternative arts and let the people pick if it was that bad.

Also for people thinking it's about removing the nazi symbols because the people are a bunch of nazi. Just check out the rule 34 of the game, you'll know where the players heart (mostly) is...
1xok Jul 4, 2023
I have difficulty seeing any difference at all in most of the pictures. When you find the spot, it looks like the ominous fig leaf. The sexualisation remains. So what is the point of all this?

If they have a problem with their own creation, I would rather make a new game. It's completely futile to try to change this game in this way.


Last edited by 1xok on 4 July 2023 at 5:38 pm UTC
elmapul Jul 4, 2023
Quoting: MetallinatusYeah, people who bought Cyberpunk 2077 at release should just keep that version without a single patch, and if they want a new version they should just buy again, amirite?
art direction and bugs are 2 separate things, but yes.
are we really in a linux forum discussing if an consumer should have the rights to access an old version of an single player game if he dont like what changed in an patch?

we arent even talking about code here, but assets, i can understanf if an company changed a lot of things in a game (eg: the AI) but also fixed a lot of bugs, that they cant provide an version with the old ai system for those who dont like the new one, but with the bugs from the older version, fixed, im not asking for that.
but its that hard to not remove features, or assets or change assets without providing an option for those who dont like the new art direction? or what if the player rather deal with the old bugs than the new version of the game, in a single player match? whats wrong with that? why the consumer shouldnt have this right?
linux should be about freedom yet in a linux forum/discussion we are deffending that the companies should be able to do whatever THEY want with the product we paid for and supposedly OWN?
Eike Jul 4, 2023
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Quoting: elmapul
Quoting: Eike
Quoting: melkemindThe reality is that people who are actually upset enough about this to actually review bomb are likely white supremacists themselves, even if they're too cowardly to admit it.

Also, it's telling that they'd get upset over the removal of sexual exploitation of young characters. It's not like they removed all sexy outfits or anything, only predatory depictions of young characters. Why would that bother someone unless they get off on exploiting young girls?

Lastly, there really is no justification for hating the removal of racist imagery unless you're racist yourself. People these days are really good at telling on themselves.

I always got this little hope that some people will scream at anything taken away, because, you know, free speech/art (without realizing that these rights absolutely include the right of the developers to change their art). But, yes, probably it's culture wars again.
if you paid for a piece of art, you want that piece of art, not something else.
whats next? you will purchase halo and microsoft will give you forza instead but you cant complain?

the artist can do whatever he want with new pieces of art, its his art afterall, but for things you already purchased?
what if companies start makting their games pay to win? oh wait, they are already doing it, and we should acept because its their art according to your logic.

According to your logic - not mine.

Changing some sprites and backgrounds is very different from changing the genre or even the business model.

Quoting: elmapulwhat if an company decide to change an story you like into something else you dont, and you cant access the original anymore?
or an music? movie?

Well, the solution to this would be DRM free games, and you keeping the old one. Like with music or movies. I'm all for this.
elmapul Jul 4, 2023
Quoting: slaapliedjeAs far as hating on removal of racist imagery making you a racist? What if it is important to the story line that you are taking out a band of racists, but some sensitivity editor decides that shouldn't be in the game, and now you're just killing a bunch of random people? :P
a good example of that is the series "everybody hate criss" wich have a bunch of racist jokes that are intended to show how absurd racism is, it make fun, mock how ridiculuous racism is all the time, yet it feature racism to show that.
should it be censored too?
Izaic Jul 4, 2023
There's no reason to completely remove the violence from a game that has had it from the beginning. This *is* just people being too sensitive. They could have added a censor option for those who were sensitive to it. Just because a game has violence in it does not mean it is glorifying it.


Last edited by Izaic on 4 July 2023 at 8:51 pm UTC
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