Steam Users Surprised After Controversial Game Is Quietly Released in Early Access

Steam users, thanks to Steam Early Access, can now play one of the most controversial games of the past few years early, before anyone else. Once upon a time, series that are mainstays and mainstream in gaming right now -- series like Grand Theft Auto, Mass Effect, Call of Duty, and Mortal Kombat -- were quite controversial. There was a time where over-the-top violence, sexual content, and turning war into a video game was all under heavy scrutiny. The times have changed, and it's rare for games to whip up controversy in the modern era. Six Days in Fallujah is one of the rare examples though. 

There's a lot of history and controversy to unpack with Six Days in Fallujah. It was originally supposed to release back in 2010, but after public pressure -- including from Britain advocacy group Stop the War Coalition -- the project was put on ice and cancelled. 11 years later, in 2021, it was announced the project was being revived. Right away, similar calls for it be cancelled or denied licensing from various platforms emerged. For the purpose of this article, we won't dive into the various concerns raised, but they by and large stemmed around the concept of taking the events of the Second Battle of Fallujah -- an infamously brutal battle that took place during the Iraq War -- and turning it into a video game. 

Since the initial uproar, the developers behind the game -- Highwire Games – has largely gone quiet, but the game is still in development and aiming to release via PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X. Ahead of this, it's been released on Steam Early Access. And it's all been done quietly, as evident by the fact that the announcement trailer for the early access release is unlisted on YouTube. 

"Six Days in Fallujah is a highly realistic first-person tactical shooter developed with help from more than 100 Marines and Soldiers who served in the Second Battle of Fallujah," read an official description of the game. "Based on true stories from one of the world's toughest modern battles, Six Days drops you and your team into real-world scenarios that require real-life tactics to overcome. Just like real combat, it is difficult to survive on your own in Six Days. Otherwise, it would not be realistic. Play with friends or matchmake to find teammates."

To check out Six Days in Fallujah early, via Steam Early Access, you will need to fork over $39.99 for the game. As for Steam Deck compatibility, the Steam listing makes no mention of the handheld, so it's unclear what the status of Steam Deck compatibility is for the game.