GoreBox game developer ‘heartbroken’ over Tacloban school shooting, says to cooperate with probe
Bea Cuadra,
ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines — The developer of the video game GoreBox has expressed deep sorrow over the fatal school shooting in Tacloban City and pledged full cooperation with Philippine authorities investigating the incident.
The statement comes after investigators said the two minors accused of opening fire at San Jose National High School may have been influenced by the game, prompting the Philippine government to ban access to GoreBox while the investigation continues.
In a statement, F2Games founder and GoreBox developer Felix Filip said he was devastated by the tragedy.
“I’m heartbroken by what happened in Tacloban. My thoughts are with the families who lost their children, with everyone who was injured, and with the entire San Jose National High School community. A loss like this is devastating,” Filip said.
Filip confirmed that he has been in contact with Philippine authorities and will cooperate with the investigation within the bounds of applicable law.
Addressing allegations that the game influenced the suspects, Filip said it would be inappropriate to speculate while the investigation is ongoing.
He emphasized that GoreBox is intended exclusively for mature audiences and is distributed through digital platforms such as Steam and Google Play, both of which provide age-rating systems and parental controls.
Filip also noted that the game includes built-in safety reminders. Upon first launching the game—and every tenth launch thereafter—players receive a message stating that GoreBox is intended solely as fictional entertainment, does not promote or glorify real-world violence, and should never be viewed as a guide for real-life behavior.
The message also encourages anyone experiencing violent thoughts or emotional distress to seek professional help.
Acknowledging concerns about minors accessing mature content, Filip said independent developers cannot personally verify the age of every player who downloads a game.
“No developer can verify the age of every person who downloads a game, which is exactly why platform age-gates and parental controls exist, and I’ll support any reasonable effort to make those safeguards work better,” he said.
Three teenagers were killed and around 20 others were injured after two students, aged 14 and 15, allegedly opened fire at San Jose National High School on Monday morning. The two suspects have since been turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Courtesy: ABS-CBN News
