The developer of the upcoming Mickey Mouse horror game Nightmare Forge Games has announced that it has changed the title for the game.
Nightmare Forge Games announced a Mickey Mouse horror game called Infestation 88 on January 1, the day the character entered the public domain. The developer jumped at the chance to introduce the Disney icon into the horror genre in the same vein as the “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” movie did to the A. A. Milne characters in 2023.
The game’s trailer made the rounds on social media and the developer hit up multiple major gaming news publications to announce that it is scheduled to enter early access on Steam sometime in 2024.
The gameplay is described as a co-op survival horror game that will see players investigate a mysterious infestation in the 1980s.
While the game seemed to take off on social media, some called the game out for its title’s association with “neo-Nazi” symbolism.
Mickey Mouse horror game changes title one day after reveal
The number 88 is an antisemitic dog whistle recognized by the Anti-Defamation League and is used by neo-Nazis.
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i am concerned the new horror mouse game is anti-semitic and everyone is just missing it 🫠 https://t.co/kxwF3K9tSC
— Jake Steinberg ➡️ SGF (@JakeNoseIt) January 2, 2024
Inverse asked Nightmare Forge Games if they were aware of the reference and “if the team were neo-Nazis.” Nightmare Forge responded to Inverse’s question “No, we are not.”
“Unfortunately, when announcing the game, we were unaware of the additional implications associated with the number 88. Our game is set in the 1980s, with the year 1988 being chosen simply for its symmetrical design in our game’s artwork. Therefore, the 88 strictly represents the year 1988; no additional connotations are intended,” the developer told Inverse.
The developer then put out a statement on social media saying that it had decided to change the title of the game to Infestation: Origins to get away from any connections or comparisons to the antisemitic group.
Update: We're changing our game's name to 'Infestation: Origins'. Full statement below. pic.twitter.com/pHSdT83SEm
— Nightmare Forge Games (@NMForgeGames) January 2, 2024
“We apologize for our ignorance on this and appreciate that this was brought to our attention so we could address it ASAP,” the developer said.