The Battlefield: Warhammer 40k section of the Dawn Project official forum was no longer a place for discussing game strategies or sharing exciting moments.
It had become a smokeless battlefield, where a fierce debate about the values and moral boundaries of virtual creations was unfolding at a rate of hundreds of posts per second.
The opposition's artillery fire was dense and sharp.
Most of them were not "players" in the traditional sense, but rather social observers, ethics discussants, and ordinary viewers who had been drawn in by the game's viral dark settings.
Many had indeed experienced strong physical or psychological discomfort from the game's content.
[Thread Topic: No matter how well this game is made or how exquisite the modeling is, it cannot deny one fact: its Servitors are made from living people.]
The poster Rational Observer analyzed in a calm tone:
"We appreciate technological progress and marvel at visual spectacle. But stripping away these superficial aspects, we must face head-on the deeply disturbing values embedded in its core setting."
"'The Mechanicus transforms living people into war tools devoid of will.' This setting, no matter how 'sci-fi' or 'gothic' its packaging, is essentially a complete denial and trampling of human dignity, individual freedom, and the value of life."
"In a competition that promotes 'emotional revival,' the appearance of such a blatantly anti-human setting is itself an irony, even dangerous."
Replies quickly piled up:
"Exactly! Medici still has the nerve to say 'that's just how the universe is.' Throw him into that universe he imagined and see if he can still laugh!"
"This is no longer ordinary dark fantasy; it reeks of indifference and cruelty toward life itself. The creator's psychological state deserves attention."
"I suggest the Singularity system intervene with an assessment and, if necessary, conduct psychological intervention."
"Clear signs of antisocial personality tendencies. Releasing such extreme settings through virtual works, there's no guarantee it won't negatively influence users with immature minds."
"Games can be cruel and dark, but there should be a bottom line. Turning living people into consumable parts crosses that line."
"This isn't artistic expression; this is mental pollution."
Their arguments centered on ethical criticism, potential social impact, and questioning the creator's motives.
They carried a condescending scrutiny and an unquestionable sense of moral superiority.
However, the counterattack from the supporters, or rather, the player faction, was equally swift and merciless.
Most of them were core players attracted by the game's solid quality, Warhammer enthusiasts, and ordinary netizens who detested "making mountains out of molehills."
[Thread Topic: Stop making me laugh. Dark worldview? No matter how dark it is, it's just a virtual setting!]
The poster Hardcore Old ASS fired with full force:
"Can you saints above wake up? Playing a game and you develop a sense of mission about humanity's survival?"
"Do you understand virtual settings? By your logic, if I played Galactic Explorer and blew up a few planets, should I be convicted of crimes against humanity?"
"If I played Crabapple blossoms speak their language and a failed romance broke a character's heart, does that count as emotional fraud?"
"Servitors are made from living people? So what?"
"The Warhammer 40k universe is exactly such a place: desperate, insane, crushing all values under the wheels of war!"
"Its charm lies precisely in this extreme, uncompromising dark aesthetic!"
"If you can't handle it, you can turn right and go play match-three. Don't cry at the grave of a virtual setting here!"
"Psychological intervention? I think those who most need intervention are you internet judges who can't distinguish between virtual and reality and slap labels on people at the drop of a hat!"
The replies were even more hostile, mixed with abundant mockery and emotional expressions:
"Some games let you be a king or general and start national wars. Should we retroactively issue you a war crimes verdict in reality too?"
"It's just a game. Make the setting a bit edgy and you blow it out of proportion. If this game really gets shut down because of you reporting party members, you're all sinners!"
"Let me be blunt: all of you are elementary school students and fragile-hearted saints who've never played truly hardcore games."
"Anyone with half a brain who's played something good wouldn't spew garbage at such a masterpiece!"
"They don't understand at all! What they want isn't a game. It's a sterilized plastic toy that conforms to their fragile worldview!"
"Medici, don't back down! It's exactly this uncompromising spirit that created Warhammer!"
The flames of war quickly spread to other social platforms.
#MediciAntiHumanSettings#
#Warhammer40kTakedownPetition#
These hashtags fought endlessly on the trending charts, attacking each other.
In short videos, one side showed Servitor close-ups and Scorchwind's skin-reveal shock moment.
They paired these with eerie music and the question "How can such a game pass review?"
The other side showed spectacular compilations of the Warhound Titan destroying everything, accompanied by rousing war songs and the cry "This is the romance of men!"
Both sides believed they stood on the side of reason and correctness.
Both felt they were defending something important: one side moral boundaries and social responsibility, the other side creative freedom and hardcore purity.
Language evolved from discussion to argument, from argument to denunciation, from denunciation to pure emotional venting and personal attacks.
The forum moderators' deletion speed was far behind the posting speed.
The entire topic became an ever-expanding vortex filled with negative energy, drawing more and more people into it.
And Medici, at the eye of the storm, still had not spoken.
His silence, in the eyes of opponents, was guilty conscience and stubbornness.
In the eyes of supporters, it was disdain and perseverance.