Six days in Fallujah, a controversial third-person shooter that took place during the Iraq war, has been in development for more than ten years after being canceled after negative feedback and controversy surrounding the premise of the game.
Originally announced in 2009 for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, Six days in Fallujah is a tactical shooter during the Second Battle of Fallujah. The original developer of the game – a studio called Atomic Games – said he was working with real American soldiers to create a more authentic experience.
After the initial announcement, several groups voiced themselves and criticized the concept of the game. The negative reception eventually led to Konami, the original publisher, announcing that it would no longer publish it.
The new developer to create the game is Highwire Games, a co-founder of three people, most notably Jaime Griesemer and Marty O’Donnell. Griesemer was previously a game designer at Bungie and Sucker Punch Productions and works on the Halo and Notorious franchises. O’Donnell also worked at Bungie and is known for composing various music Halo titles and the first Destiny games.
To ensure it is the ‘most authentic military shooter to date’, Highwire Games announced on the official Six days in Fallujah website that the development team spoke to ‘more than 100 Marines, soldiers and Iraqi civilians who were present during the Second Battle of Fallujah’, who shared personal stories, photos and video recordings with the developer.
Victura, a former Bungie vice-president, Pete Tamte, will serve as publisher of the game. Tamte was previously the CEO of Atomic Games, where he was involved in the original development period for Six days in Fallujah.
Six days in Fallujah will be launched on a computer in 2021; the game will also be released on consoles, but Highwire Games has not yet announced which platforms.