Valve Removes ‘Troll' Developer, Publisher of School Shooting Video Game From Steam

The removal means the 'Active Shooter' video game will not be released on Steam

Valve Corporation said it has removed the publisher and developer of a contentious video game that simulates school shootings from its popular Steam service.

The "Active Shooter" game developed by Revived Games and published by the company Acid was slated for a June 6 release.

In the self-titled "SWAT simulator," gamers could play the role of an active shooter killing innocent people at a school or a SWAT team responding to the massacre.

The game's upcoming release generated massive outcry, including from parents of students killed during the Parkland school shooting.

In a statement, Valve said that the controversy surrounding the game allowed the company to recognize in an investigation that the developer and publisher of "Active Shooter" was someone already removed from Steam.

Valve said a person identifying himself as Ata Berdiyev was in charge of Revived Games and ACID, adding that he had been removed when he operated two other companies.

"We have removed the developer Revived Games and publisher ACID from Steam," Valve said in a statement. "Ata is a troll, with a history of customer abuse, publishing copyrighted material, and user review manipulation. His subsequent return under new business names was a fact that came to light as we investigated the controversy around his upcoming title. We are not going to do business with people who act like this towards our customers or Valve."

In a recent blog post, Acid said its game does not promote violence and that the company may remove the ability to play as the school gunman.

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