Roblox, a gaming platform for children has removed two games from its website. The two games were based on players fighting each other as Russians and Ukrainians. One of the games is called War on Larkiv: Ukraine. While the other game is called Battle for Ukraine.
Roblox is very popular among kids. Around fifty million players log into Roblox every day. The game lets them play mini-games and also create their own games.
War on Larkiv: Ukraine
War on Larkiv: Ukrain is showcasing in the game Roblox discovery section. In less than two weeks, it’s playing time up to 90,000 times. The game is based on a fictional city. However, it resembles the real city of Kharkiv. Recently, hundreds of people have died in indiscriminately shelling from Russia.
War on Larkiv was popular and had a review score of 71% from users. Moreover, 4.7 million people viewed the game’s video-related titles. It was also popular among the audience on TikTok. Meanwhile, the game encouraged players to upgrade their weapons using Roblox’s in-game currency, Robux.
The Roblox game page read: “Grab your guns and choose your side to fight in the War on Larkiv: Ukraine. Heavy combat is taking place right now in the fictional city of Larkiv, soldiers strive with hope and destiny.”
The Games violate Community Standards
Roblox said that both games violate its community standards. Therefore, the gaming platform has removed them from its website. BBC contacted Roblox about the removal of these games.
Roblox spokesperson said: “We have strict Community Standards which govern the portrayal of real-world events. Both of the experiences in question are removed for violating our standards following an assessment by our moderation team.”
Meanwhile, Ukrainian game developer Grisha Bolshakov said that he would never make an entertainment game about the war.
He said, “Obviously a game with this sensational topic will resonate and generate interest on social platforms, but I would never touch this topic for an entertainment product,
He adds, “It’s not helping to educate players morally or take a real look at rather sad things. It’s just making fun of the meat grinder happening in the real world.”
