#EthicsInGame

[thesovietgerman]

What Issues Raises "The Squid Game"

The Squid Game, the popular South Korean series created by Hwang Dong-hyuk, addresses important and timely social issues.

Class Struggle and Economic Inequality

The most central issue in Squid Game is wealth disparity. The players are all deeply in debt or financially desperate, reflecting the harsh realities of capitalism and the widening gap between the rich and poor. The VIPs—wealthy elites who watch the games for entertainment—represent how the ultra-rich are often disconnected from, and complicit in, the suffering of the less fortunate. They treat the games—and human lives—as sport, highlighting moral detachment and systemic abuse.

Many characters are trapped in debt with no way out, symbolizing how financial systems can exploit the vulnerable. The show reflects real-life pressures such as predatory lending and medical expenses.

2. Exploitation and Dehumanization

Players are treated like disposable commodities, paralleling how modern laborers—especially the poor—can be exploited for profit. The games strip away individuality, reducing people to numbers and spectacle, mirroring how society can dehumanize the marginalized.

3. Survival Ethics and Human Nature

The show poses difficult moral questions: What are people willing to do to survive? Will they betray others? Can empathy survive in a system built on competition?

These dilemmas reflect how harsh economic systems can erode community and trust.

4. Selfishness and greed

The show uses the brutal competition for a massive cash prize to explore how these traits emerge under extreme pressure—and what they reveal about human nature and society.

The premise is built on greed. Players return to the deadly game voluntarily, knowing the risks, because the prize money is seen as their only way out of poverty or disgrace. As the games progress, alliances break down, and players begin betraying each other to increase their own odds of survival. Perhaps the most painful example of selfishness is in the marble game, where players are forced to eliminate someone they trust—often through deceit.

Cho Sang-woo, Im Jeong-dae, Nam-gyu, Lee Myung-gi are portraits of how ambition and greed can corrupt a person.

Wealthy elites who watch the games for entertainment represent greed in its most grotesque form. Their detachment and amusement at others' suffering show how greed can completely erase empathy.

Squid Game portrays selfishness and greed not as flaws of a few individuals, but as behaviors encouraged—even required—by a brutal, unequal system.

5. Immigration and Marginalized Communities

Through characters like Ali, a Pakistani migrant worker, the show highlights the vulnerability and exploitation of immigrants and minorities. It emphasizes how systemic barriers prevent them from achieving stability or justice.

6. Mental Health and Despair

The mental toll of poverty, trauma, and loss is a recurring element. Suicide, addiction, and emotional numbness are shown as consequences of social neglect and inequality.

[thedistortionwolf]

🚨 URGENT: Steam is Profiting from a Rape & Incest Game — Here’s How to Fight Back 🚨

(CW: Sexual violence, misogyny, abuse)

Please read the full thread, thanks.

Why This Game (No Mercy) is Dangerous

Promotes sexual violence: The game’s description brags about “never taking no for an answer” and includes unavoidable rape scenarios.

Incest glorification: Players are encouraged to “fuck your mom, fuck your auntie.”

Silencing critics: The devs (Zerat Games) ban anyone who calls this out (like me) to hide their crimes. Which is an abuse of moderator tools and violating Steam’s Community Guidelines.

Laws It Violates

🇬🇧 UK: Banned under the Online Safety Act (2023) for “encouraging sexual violence.”

🇦🇺 Australia: Removed for violating classification laws (depictions of sexual assault).

🇨🇦 Canada: Likely violates Criminal Code Sec. 163 (obscene material).

How to Report It

Steam Support Ticket:

Go to help.steampowered.com → Games → No Mercy → Report illegal content.

DEMAND Steam remove it globally, not just in banned countries.

Email Steam’s Legal Team:

legal@valvesoftware.com (Subject: “No Mercy Violates Int’l Law – Remove Immediately”).

Tweet @Steam + tag journalists (more below).

@kotaku @the-mary-sue @anarchogaming @feministfrequency @collectiveshout

📢 Reblog this to force Steam to act. The more noise we make, the harder it is for them to ignore us. Normalizing and desensitizing major violence against women is disgusting.

***UPDATE 1:

"Message from Steam Support on Apr 10 @ 1:33pm | 56 minutes ago

This community hub ban was issued by the developer's moderation staff.

Developers follow the Global Rules & Guidelines, but they may also have specific rules regarding what content is acceptable in their game hub.

We won't be reversing their decision, so we recommend contacting their support team for further information and to appeal: No Mercy support

Best Regards, John"

***This response from Steam is infuriatingly dismissive, but it reveals their flawed system—where developers can silence critics of abusive content. So basically, Steam told me they ‘won’t reverse’ bans for calling out rape games. Share this everywhere—Valve only acts when exposed or deals with liability. Give them the PR disaster like 'Rape Day'.

Why Steam’s Response is Bullshit

They can overrule dev bans (they’ve done it for racist/homophobic moderation).

They’re lying by implying this is just “community guidelines,” not illegal content. **This is predatory corporate behavior. They’re betting we will give up. Prove them wrong.

***UPDATE 2:

Another disappointing response, but it reveals their weak point: They admit developers’ moderation affects consumer trust—which means we can weaponize that.

Financial Pressure

A. Report to Payment Processors

Visa/Mastercard: Report Form"Valve processes payments for [No Mercy], which depicts criminal sexual violence. This violates your Terms of Service." (Payment bans scare Valve more than user reports.)

B. Washington State AG Complaint

File here: https://www.atg.wa.gov/file-complaint"Valve Corporation (Bellevue, WA) profits from games promoting illegal sexual violence, harming consumers. Request investigation under state consumer protection laws."

Keep Fighting and Document Everything for Media (This is also a guide for those reporting this)

Create a public Google Doc titled: “How Steam Protects Rape Games: Evidence” Include:

My/Your ban + Steam’s dismissive responses

Game’s illegal content (blurred but legible)

Links to UK/Australia bans

Email it to journalists

Steam’s Hypocrisy Exposed

Their own Partner Guidelines

"Poor moderation can damage your brand... be transparent and fair." Throw this back at them: "Why does Steam let devs damage your brand by banning critics of illegal content?"

-Steam admitted moderation affects trust (paper trail for lawsuits).

-They escalated internally (my report is now on record).

This is corporate gaslighting. But we're forcing them to respond—and each reply is evidence. Stay relentless.

***UPDATE 3:

I emailed so many people, several reporters, journalists, RAINN, NCOSE, payment processor reports and Washington State AG complaint. Any email I could find. I've lost track at this point, lol.

It's been removed!

I want to take this moment to thank allies who helped (journalists, advocates, fellow reporters). We did it! Thank you!

We got Steam to remove a rape simulator. If you’re fighting abuse in gaming: KEEP GOING. It works.

Today, we were unstoppable.

We turned rage into action, silence into global consequences, and proved that persistent voices can force even giants like Steam to listen. This isn’t just about a game—it’s about every survivor who now sees that change is possible. Celebrate this win!