Dustborn developers respond to negative criticism

Dustborn is a rhythm adventure beat-em-up game by Red Thread Games that was recently launched on PC and consoles. The developer, Red Thread Games, has spoken out against a review-bombing campaign related to cultural issues.

The review bombing stemmed from the political themes present in Dustborn. The game takes a clear stance in the culture wars, presenting a left-leaning perspective where players embody progressive activists in a punk band fighting against a right-wing government in an alternate version of America.

It’s not surprising that some gamers on the opposite side of the culture war would take issue with the game, similar to the recent backlash against Soulash 2.

In both cases, the developers have stood by their creative choices rather than issuing apologies or altering their games.

Red Thread Games stated, “We anticipated Dustborn sparking conversations and debates, and we were eager to engage with players in a positive and constructive manner. Unfortunately, this dialogue has been overshadowed by a wave of hate and abuse. While we welcome thoughtful feedback and respectful criticism, we have zero tolerance for hate speech, harassment, and threats. Those engaging in such behavior will be removed from our community.”

Currently, Dustborn holds a Mostly Positive review rating, with 75% positive and 25% negative reviews. Most of the negative feedback seems to have been shared on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

Contrary to some reports, it doesn’t appear that the game has been subjected to negative review bombing, but it’s possible that accounts involved in such activity were banned by Steam.

Some reviews exhibit peculiar wording, such as one that describes the game as “aesthetically repulsive and an insult to the entire project of world civilization,” yet still gives a thumbs-up rating. While this review appears to be trolling, most positive reviews are genuine. For example, one reviewer defended the game by stating:

“I may not be interested in the political aspects, but I acknowledge the hyper-representative nature of the characters. Some individuals do experience such diversity in their social circles, especially within the LGBTQ+ community. This group of characters reflects the people I interact with regularly. It may seem alien to some, but it’s not ‘unrealistic.’ Instead of tearing down each other’s media, we should accept our differences and coexist peacefully.”

Dustborn is now accessible on Windows PC (via Steam and the Epic Games Store), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Switch, PS4, and PS5.