In mid-August, a controversy erupted around the roguelike sandbox Soulash 2, centered on the game's romantic relationship system. Some gamers were dissatisfied that same-sex characters could not form romances.
Soulash 2
On August 15, a queer Discord user with the nickname 2023 Subaru Impreza asked Soulash 2's creator, Artur Śmiarowski, to add same-sex relationships to the game. The developer declined. He politely explained that he currently lacks the energy, desire, and resources to expand the current system [Śmiarowski works on Soulash 2 solo—editor’s note]. Additionally, the essence of relationships in Soulash 2 is to have children and continue the lineage, which same-sex romances contradict. Śmiarowski emphasized that he might reconsider in the future, but he is not planning to address it right now.
The player's request caught the attention of some other gamers. They supported it, suggesting various ways to implement the idea, such as allowing adoption of children in the game. The discussion heated up, and Śmiarowski even created a separate channel on Discord, but after a week, he stated that the topic was exhausted. He still believes the addition would not improve the game, but rather require extra resources.
As a result, disgruntled players began actively lowering the game's rating, critiquing Śmiarowski in reviews. They also organized a protest on Reddit.
Amid the review-bombing, Śmiarowski wrote an angry post on X:
"My grandparents survived the Nazis, my parents lived under communism, I lived under religious oppression since the age of ten, and now some spoiled brats think I'll bow to their rainbow flag. I already have a flag I'm proud of," the developer declared, attaching a picture of the Polish flag, where he is from.
Some users decided to support Śmiarowski, helping restore Soulash 2’s rating on Steam to "Very Positive." Furthermore, the game’s sales increased.
Recently, Śmiarowski summarized the results of the controversy:
- 3,500 copies of Soulash 2 were sold over the week, a figure he usually sells in two months;
- 12,700 people added the game to their wishlist;
- over the past weekend, the game's online presence on Steam increased nearly twofold—from 163 users on Thursday to 237 on Sunday;
- over 10,000 people subscribed to the developer on X.
"Rainbow extremists organized the most effective advertising campaign for my game. I hope this inspires other developers to never let a bunch of spoiled kids bully them in their own communities," Śmiarowski wrote on X.
Soulash 2 was released in Steam Early Access on December 4, 2023. As of July 2024, its sales exceeded 20,000 copies.
*The international LGBT movement is recognized as extremist and banned in Russia.