Video game publisher Valve says it's dropping the 'Active Shooter' game that drew outrage



SEATTLE -- The Bellevue-based video game publisher Valve said Tuesday it is dropping its planned "Active Shooter" game that would have allowed a player to take on the role of a gunman in a school.

It said it's also dropping its developer from the company's popular Steam platform.

News of the video game drew outrage from a Mercer Island mother, who started a petition urging the company to drop the game.

The game would have had other environments for the virtual shootings -- not just schools -- and players would have been able to control either the SWAT officers or the shooter.

Although Valve didn't make the game, Active Shooter was scheduled to be available June 6 on Steam, a popular platform where players can buy and download thousands of games.

On Tuesday afternoon, Valve sent Q13 News a statement saying it has removed the developer and publisher responsible for the game from Steam.

It went on to describe that person as a "troll with a history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation."

"The broader conversation about Steam's content policies is one that we'll be addressing soon," the Valve statement said.