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By Tahar Rajab
News and Features Journalist
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A violent and sexually explicit video game called No Mercy has sparked international backlash and political condemnation, with it being removed from the Steam platform globally after being banned in multiple countries.
What Is the Game About?
No Mercy appeared on the PC gaming platform Steam in early April. The game allowed players to control a character who rapes, tortures and kills women. It did not carry an age rating or content warning and was described by some users and critics as a "rape simulator."
Read More on U.S.
No Mercy features scenes in which the player rapes a woman, who then becomes pregnant, gives birth to a baby, and is then murdered along with her newborn.
The game was created by developer Zerat Games and included scenes of extreme violence and sexual assault. It was available for a short time before being removed.
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Banned in the UK, Canada, and Australia
No Mercy was banned in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Following these bans, Zerat Games voluntarily removed the game from Steam entirely, stating: "We don't intend to fight the whole world."
Still Not Banned in the U.S.
Despite international action, No Mercy was not banned in the United States before its removal. At the time it was listed, the game was accessible to U.S. users through Steam. It is now unavailable. There has been no official statement from Valve about why the game was taken down, and no U.S. government agency has issued a ruling on the matter.
How Do I Stop My Child From Accessing Games Like This?
Steam includes a feature called "Family View" that allows parents to restrict access to certain types of content using a PIN.
Parents can also use third-party parental controls and consult tools offered by the ESRB to manage access to video games.
Will It Be Banned in the U.S.?
There is currently no indication that No Mercy will face a legal ban in the U.S. Video games are protected by the First Amendment, and the U.S. does not have a federal body that prohibits games based on content alone. The game is currently unavailable worldwide following its voluntary removal from Steam.
Correction: 4/12/25, 12:09 p.m. ET: An unverified quote attributed to John Whittingdale was removed.
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