Dustborn developers call out a 'tidal-wave of hate and abuse,' which has engulfed their game: Those who engage in this behavior will be removed.

Red Thread Games, the developer of Dustborn, has released a press release decrying "the tide of hate and abuse that has surrounded both the studio and the game since its launch last week."

Dustborn is a alt-history Americana Road Trip game that wears it politics on its sleeves: It's about "a group of outcast queers [who] battle fascist cops, smash corporate drones, and navigate new and evolving relationships," according to our June preview. It has a "mostly negative" user rating on Steam, and an aggregate critical score on Metacritic of 68. This game is aimed at a very specific audience.

It's also drawn a significant "culture wars' backlash" as seen in Reddit threads, YouTube videos, user reviews and other places where the word "woken" is used frequently. Dustborn's modest launch sales have also attracted a lot of glee, another example of how some people are willing to do a grave dance for games they don't enjoy.

Red Thread is done with Dustborn ten days after its launch. The studio posted a message on social media saying, "We expected Dustborn would spark conversation and debate and looked forward engaging with our players constructively and positively." "Unfortunately, this conversation has been drowned by a tidal flow of hate and abuse.

We welcome constructive criticism and thoughtful feedback. We welcome discussion and debate. We have zero tolerance for any form of hate speech, harassment or threats. "Those who engage in this behavior will be removed by our community."

In a retweet, Dustborn publisher Quantic Dream expressed its "heartfelt" support for Red Thread Games, adding that "We stand united in our opposition to hate in all of its forms and we are committed to creating communities built on respect and understanding."

Red Thread, in a statement sent to PC Gamer as a follow-up, said Dustborn was a game which "emphasizes words and the importance building an inclusive society that everyone belongs."

There are limits to inclusion. People who insist on being persistent dickholes just because a character in a videogame uses gender-neutral terms will find themselves on the outer.

The studio stated, "We welcome constructive feedback, but we do not tolerate hate speech." "We have taken immediate action to ban certain users who made explicit and hateful remarks on our channels. We want to remind our players that we have zero tolerance for threats, hate speeches, or harassment. We will continue to strive to build a positive, welcoming community where everyone can be themselves.

Steam offers a demo if you're interested in Dustborn, but not ready to commit.