How a 7 October video game highlighted the gaming world’s uneasy relationship with Islam
In November, amid a media spectacle, digital shopfront Steam removed the game Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque from sale in the UK.
That was after the country’s Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) put pressure on Valve, the company that owns and runs the Steam service.
Because Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, it is not surprising that the counterterrorism services reached out to Valve to remove it from sale, as the game could be construed as an expression of a player’s support for the group and, therefore, illegal.
Originally released in 2022, the game allows a player to take control of a Palestinian fighter tasked with protecting the Old City of Jerusalem from Israeli soldiers.
In November 2024, the game received another update from its Brazilian developer, entitled "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood".
As the name suggests, the update allows a player to recreate the Hamas-led offensive on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
Screen grabs of gameplay footage show fighters infiltrating Israeli army bases and parachuting into battle, reminiscent of the actual attacks where Hamas fighters used paragliders to breach Israeli army barriers separating the besieged Gaza Strip from Israel.
The controversy surrounding the game was loud and effective in having it removed from Steam but also led to accusations of double standards.
Video games have a long history of pushing the envelope, including with regard to violence considered “terroristic”.
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