10 Video Games That OFFENDED the Most People

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)

The violence in Call of Duty should never have been a shock to anyone, but there was one moment in the second Modern Warfare entrance that even seasoned players were surprised by. The infamous level, titled No Russian, allows players to participate in the massacre of civilians in an airport. While the mission is optional and comes with a clear warning about its disturbing content, it sparked heavy backlash from mainstream media critics way back in 2009 when it was released. The outrage was further intensified by the timing of the games release, which closely followed the tragic Fort Hood shooting where 13 people were killed. Some countries tweaked the game, making the player instantly fail if THEY shot a civilian.

Doom (1993)

Doom introduced many players to the first-person shooter genre, and popularised it for the wider gaming audience. This perspective proved a bit too much for some players, as it placed players directly in the eyes of the shooter, intensifying the impact of the violence. The graphic blood, gore, and use of weapons like shotguns and chainsaws added to the games controversial reputation, which was further deepened after it was revealed that the perpetrators of the Columbine School shooting were enthusiastic Doom players... That isnt an ideal selling point for the publisher.

Bully (2006)

Bully is a unique game that lets players step into the shoes of (you guessed) a bully. You play as a new student at Bullworth Academy, sent there after causing too much trouble elsewhere. Ahh drat, here we go again. While the story gradually reveals that you're actually trying to bring order and stand up to bullies, the gameplay, much like GTA, allows a crazy amount of freedom in terms of what you can do regardless of your characters story and motives. Since players are free to harass or prank other students, some have criticized the game for seemingly glorifying school bullying despite its underlying message. It was so bad that the name Bully was changed to Canis Canem Edit (Latin for Dog Eat Dog) in some regions.

Mortal Kombat (1992)

Video game violence is front and centre for Mortal Kombat in 2025. It's what weve come to expect out of it. But when it first hit arcades in 1992, its graphic, digitized gore was controversial enough to put it at the centre of the unending debate on violence in media. Iconic finishers like ripping out spines and tearing off heads catapulted the game into notoriety, sparking congressional hearings and ultimately leading to the creation of the ESRB rating system. Imagine that? Being so goddamn hardcore that an entire rating system has to be made because of you. That over the top brutality helped cement Mortal Kombat as one of the most popular video games ever, and it never really chilled out on the violence.

Hatred (2015)

A lot of the games well discuss have moments of controversy, but imagine a game that is entirely built around shocking events... Thats Hatred. This shooter revolves around one dark premise: kill everyone. You play as a character whos had enough of society and sets out on a violent rampage, yknow? Like a mass shooter. It doesnt matter if the targets are armed or defenseless, elimination is the only goal. Progressing means committing indiscriminate acts of violence, and the kicker is that your health regenerates with violent acts. With its focus on senseless slaughter, Hatred remains one of the most controversial games ever released.

Six Days in Fallujah (2023)

Some games are controversial, but not all games get delayed for a decade because theyre so controversial. Six Days in Fallujah aims to portray the real-life events of the Iraq Wars Battle of Fallujah with stark realism, which is tough because these were such recent and sensitive events. When it was finally released, it delivered an unflinching look at the horrors of modern warfare. At times, it even feels like a survival horror game. Danger lurks around every corner, and the sense of fear and helplessness is constant, much like real warfare. This was kinda part of the problem.

Night Trap (1992)

Full-motion video games, otherwise known as FMV games, use pre-recorded footage in conjunction with gameplay, and they were all the rage back in the 90s. Night Trap was one of the earliest examples. In the game, you play as a security guard monitoring surveillance cameras in a house where a group of teenage girls are having a party, and yes, its as problematic as it sounds. Your mission is to protect them by spotting threats and activating traps to stop the intruders, like a really pervy Home Alone. While the game itself wasnt particularly violent and largely played like a campy parody of vampire thrillers, it joined Mortal Kombat in the debate around video game violence, also assisting the creation of the ESRB rating system.

Postal 2 (2003)

Postal, a game that again goes on our list of games that made its way into Congress conversations. While many developers respond to criticism by defending their work or offering context, the creators of Postal embraced the outrage. Their games are a brutal caricature of what critics fear most about violent media, featuring everything from abusing animals to urinating on corpses. The games scoring system even tracks grotesque stats like Gallons Urinated and Heads Exploded by Shotgun. One infamous moment lets players attack protesters of violent gamesa not-so-subtle jab at the controversy. Oh and guess what? It was banned in Australia, and I see worse things than anything in Postal 2 every single day. Cowards.

Manhunt (2003)

Man, the hardest hunt of all. As the title suggests, Manhunt is all about a deadly game of survival, but there's more to it than meets the eye. You play as a death row inmate whos given a grim second chance: earn your freedom by starring in a violent underground snuff film, and snuff, you do. To survive, you must eliminate other criminals, often using stealth and brutal executions. Some players felt it was okay because the people you kill are criminals... Others disagreed. Its a dark, disturbing experience that pushes the boundaries of violence in gaming. If youre the kind of person that thinks shoplifters should be slowly executed, then you might not blink.

Grand Theft Auto III (2001)

In 2001, a new cowboy strolled into town to take the badge of video game controversy from Sheriffs like Mortal Kombat and Doom. From its earliest release, the series drew controversy. In fact, the first game even pushed for journalists to write articles about how violent and disturbing the game was, just to build hype. The uproar truly escalated with 2001s Grand Theft Auto III, where improved 3D graphics made the violence feel far more real, and it was this realness that sent the game into the stratosphere of popularity. Players could kill police officers, hire and murder prostitutes, and pretty much cause any kind of mayhem they want. Multiple lawsuits have been filed using Grand Theft Auto III as a reason for various acts of violence.