Void Interactive’s tactical shooter Ready or Not is catching serious heat this week, not from flashbangs but from its own player base. With the game’s PS5 and Xbox Series X/S release set for July 15, the studio announced changes to key animations and content to meet console certification standards—and let’s just say PC players aren’t exactly thrilled.
The update, revealed in a recent statement, tones down the game’s signature brutality. Gone (or at least heavily reduced) are the gory dismemberments and certain violent depictions involving minors. The idea, according to Void, is to maintain parity across all platforms while ensuring the game clears the stricter content filters of console makers. Predictably, that explanation hasn’t gone down well with many of the PC faithful, who took to Steam in droves to voice their anger. The result? Ready or Not’s user reviews have slipped from “Very Positive“ to “Mixed,” with accusations flying that the game has been “sanitized” to satisfy console gatekeepers.
Trying to calm the situation, Void Interactive explained, “Throughout this console port process we’ve done our utmost to only make changes when they are flagged as absolutely required by our first party partners, and any changes aim to remain faithful to the original tonality of the game, so there is no reason to be alarmed.” They added that the console version still carries mature ratings—ESRB M, PEGI 18, USK 18—but noted that “there are other game content requirements that console platforms have in order to exist on their systems, and a portion of these changes will be visible on the PC version.”
One of the main gripes is that the PC version is being pulled down to meet console standards, instead of console versions being scaled to match PC’s grittier original. Players argue that a simple content toggle could’ve solved the issue—let the grown-ups choose their level of gore. Void, for their part, says maintaining two separate builds isn’t viable given the game’s upcoming cross-play features and the technical realities of Unreal Engine upgrades.
Despite the outrage, the controversy has ironically boosted the game’s visibility. Ready or Not recently cracked Steam’s global top 15 sellers, with peak player counts spiking even as the negative reviews rolled in. It’s the classic internet paradox: people are mad—but they’re also playing. The game’s current 50% discount—part of Steam’s Summer Sale—likely isn’t hurting those numbers either, giving curious newcomers an easy excuse to dive in despite the drama.
In response to the backlash, Void Interactive issued a follow-up statement clarifying that the PC version underwent “minor content changes” strictly to meet global platform standards and age ratings, while insisting the game’s “tone, atmosphere, and graphical impact remain intact.” The studio emphasized that key missions like Elephant, Neon Tomb, and Valley of the Dolls remain unchanged, and that creative freedom remains core to their vision—even as they operate within what they called the “global ecosystem” of platform regulations.
Void Interactive insists the changes are “limited” and necessary to get the game into living rooms via consoles. But on Reddit and Steam forums, players aren’t letting it slide. “This should be a player-side thing,” one user wrote, reflecting a broader sentiment that the decision undermines the very realism that made Ready or Not stand out in the tactical shooter space.
Adding fuel to the fire, some players have pointed out that the PC version could easily have remained untouched while consoles got the toned-down experience. So far, Void hasn’t budged.
To be fair, tactical first-person shooter has seen its share of updates and content drops over the past year, including new maps, missions, and gear. Whether the studio can weather this storm or whether the player base will move on remains to be seen—but for now, the flashpoint is clear: censorship versus creative vision.
For those sticking with the game, keep an eye out for future patches—because if there’s one thing the Ready or Not community loves more than a clean breach, it’s a good patch note.
