RVI commented on the complaint to the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General's Office regarding the map with the Moscow metro in Counter-Strike 2
Recently, the "Organization for the Development of the Video Game Industry" (ODVGI) requested law enforcement to investigate a map in Counter-Strike 2, designed for the "Major Cybersport League" tournament in Counter-Strike 2. The map depicts a fictional Moscow metro station that terrorists could blow up. The organization has now issued a statement clarifying its position.
ODVGI explained that it is a public organization that regularly addresses events occurring in the industry. Therefore, it's not surprising that it paid attention to the tournament.
According to ODVGI, the issue was not so much with the map itself as with the "sensitive combination" of the idea, event, time, place, the theme of explosions in the Moscow metro, and the fact that the Counter-Strike 2 tournament was held with the support of the Moscow Department of Transport.
“... Just as games about the explosions of the Twin Towers in the USA would seem odd with the backing of the New York Department of Construction. Or games supported by the Tokyo Metro where players are suggested to release gas in the Tokyo metro. This is what we pointed out — the unfortunate narrative, without accusing anyone, but merely requesting a review of the appropriateness of this event,” stated ODVGI.
ODVGI acknowledged that the wording in their complaint was somewhat harsh, but it was "formally chosen according to whom and what we were writing about to convey the essence of our concerns and questions." They reached out to the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General's Office because these bodies have the authority to conduct such investigations.
ODVGI is not opposed to developers incorporating the capital's metro and other Moscow locations into games. The organization noted that in the summer, it helped organize a hackathon on the development of games about Moscow, and also proposed creating thematic 3D models to make it easier for developers to create games. However, ODVGI believes that games should be approached responsibly and context should be considered.
In its statement, ODVGI also noted that it would be beneficial to include games from Russian developers in the program of tournaments organized with state support. As an example, they mentioned Indonesia, where tournaments feature matches in both local and international games at a one-to-one ratio. However, ODVGI emphasized that this is merely a suggestion from the organization, not a call to action.