Many of you may have seen the recent news that the ACAB slogan (All Cops Are Bastards) was removed from Lies of P. The developers deeming that the controversial slogan is a ‘bit risky’ to have in a video game.
And whilst in the game itself it doesn’t state ACAB directly (it uses APAB instead – All Puppets Are Bastards), Director Ji-Won Choi has confirmed that it means exactly what you think it means. Choi himself responded accordingly following the decision;
“We respect everyone who might want to play this game, and we wanted everyone to get the best experience out of it.”
Related: Lies of P has Cut ‘Risky’ Anti-Police Slogan after Worrying it Could be Misinterpreted – FandomWire
What are fans saying about the removal of the ACAB slogan?
There appears to have been quite the backlash on Social Media from the community regarding the removal of the ACAB slogan;
“…this way they can get the progressive social credit of shitting on police with less of the pushback. It’s an extra layer of cowardice on top of the cowardice.” – @murderbits
“Why appease boot lickers?” – @Charles_Chums
“Spineless. Not playing it anymore.” –@watchingluchas
“I’m willing to bet this is to avoid what would have been an inevitable review bombing by a certain subset of snowflakes.” – @BobbyTOTK
And certainly there were a few fans who regarded the decision to remove the ACAB slogan as cowardly. But it should be noted that many fans were actually questioning the decision to have the slogan in the game in the first place;
“…A message relaying the hate against cops isnt what I’d call essential in a fantasy world. Unless the whole game has a deep anti cops message which from the demo I played clearly didnt.” – @Timeerased
“Good, it’s perpetuating a stereotype like that that has black people often so scared of cops they think running away is a valid reaction thus leading to more deaths. Not all cops are bad, not all are good but if you run from them then your forcing them to make a choice.” – @Old_Meat
“While I respect this decision to cut said material. I’d like to reiterate that we don’t need politics in gaming. I remember seeing this in the promo and it was a turn off. Glad they cut it, but no more, please. Instead, more mystery and action.” –@ShadowT63335453
Read Also: The Lies of P Trophy List Has Leaked and Contains Some Serious Spoilers! – FandomWire
What’s not clear is whether the image showing the APAB slogan is the only reference to this throughout the game or whether there may be further in corresponding missions. Was it simply someone’s misguided idea around background art that simply backfired? Or is it something more politically driven which never should have been included in the game in the first place?
We may never learn the truth from developers about how the reference to ACAB came to be. However, one thing is certain, it has certainly opened a massive can of worms and unfortunately sees the community split.
But what’s your thoughts on the latest news for Lies of P and the removal of the ACAB slogan? Do you agree with the decision to remove from the game? Or do you think that political statements shouldn’t be in a video game to start with? Get in touch, drop us a comment and let us know your thoughts.
Source: Twitter/X
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