Manila has pulled the plug on a video game allegedly used by a teenage gunman who killed three classmates before turning the weapon on himself. The Philippine government’s ban, announced late Tuesday, targets “Project Nexus,” a first-person shooter that sources confirm was found on the attacker’s laptop. The game, developed by a small studio in Eastern Europe, has been linked to similar acts of violence in at least two other countries.
UK cyber safety groups, including the Internet Watch Foundation, have applauded the ban, calling it a “necessary first step” in addressing the radicalisation of young players through violent online content. But questions remain about how a game with an 18+ rating ended up in the hands of a 15-year-old. Documents obtained by this reporter show that the game’s publisher, Redline Interactive, has a history of lax age verification systems.
The company’s CEO, Ivan Petrov, has denied any responsibility, stating that “the game is not designed to incite violence.” Yet internal emails, leaked to this newspaper, reveal that Petrov once boasted about the game’s “realistic kill animations” in a pitch to investors. The school shooting, which occurred last Thursday in a suburb of Quezon City, has reignited a fierce debate about the regulation of violent video games.
The Philippine Congress is now considering a bill that would require all game publishers to implement mandatory age checks using government ID databases. The bill’s sponsor, Senator Maria Santos, said: “We cannot allow our children to be desensitised to murder.” Meanwhile, UK cyber safety experts are watching closely.
Dr. Helen Carter, a professor of digital ethics at the University of Cambridge, told me: “The ban is symbolic, but the real work lies in preventing these games from reaching vulnerable minors in the first place. The UK should follow suit, but we need a coordinated international effort.
” The game’s developer, based in Belarus, has not yet responded to requests for comment. However, a spokesperson for the UK’s National Crime Agency confirmed they are in contact with Philippine authorities. “We are assisting with the investigation into the game’s distribution channels,” the spokesperson said.
As the story develops, one thing is clear: the money trail leads back to a network of offshore accounts that funded the game’s marketing. Redline Interactive received a £2 million investment from a shell company registered in the Cayman Islands. Who is behind that company?
That is the question I will be asking next.
