Philippines bans online game GoreBox after school shooting kills 3

Philippine authorities have temporarily banned the online game GoreBox as a precautionary measure after initial police investigations linked one of the students involved in a recent school shooting to the game. The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Centre (CICC) announced the ban, stating, “We are blocking GoreBox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation.”

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We are blocking GoreBox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation.

Undersecretary Renato Paraiso of the CICC added, “We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident.” The decision comes after a rare school shooting on June 22 in Tacloban City, where two students, aged 14 and 15, allegedly opened fire, killing three students and injuring 20 others. Authorities reported that the suspects used handguns.

GoreBox, developed by Germany-based F2Games, is known for its graphic depictions of violence and allows players to experiment with various weapons. The CICC described the game's advertising as “a physics-driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction.” The ban highlights a broader trend of increased scrutiny on children's online activities across the Asia-Pacific region, with countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia implementing various restrictions on social media and gaming for minors.

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We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident.

The CICC emphasized that the attack underscores the need for greater vigilance in the digital space and has intensified its surveillance of online activities as the investigation into the shooting continues. The maker of GoreBox did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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a physics-driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction