Six Days in Fallujah release date: Game's launch time, and why it's so controversial | Radio Times!

The game was originally being developed by Konami and was slated to be the first video game to focus directly on the Iraq War. However, the game was dropped after criticism that it was inappropriate.

But in February 2021, Six Days in Fallujah was announced as being back in development at Highwire Games – and is once again facing a similar backlash.

Here's everything you need to know about the revived Six Days in Fallujah, including a trailer, release date and its controversial premise.

When is the Six Days in Fallujah's release date?

Six Days in Fallujah is aiming for a late 2021 release for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. We don't have an exact day and date yet, but we'd expect it to fall sometime in Q4, between September and December 2021.

When a firm date is confirmed, we'll update this article to let you know.

What is Six Days in Fallujah?

Six Days in Fallujah is an upcoming first-person tactical military shooter that recreates the Second Battle of Fallujah, a joint US/UK and Iraqi operation against insurgents that took place in November 2004 during the Iraq War.

Missions are based on real-life scenarios, with narration from soldiers who were present during the battle and documentary segments providing context to events. The Six Days website states that over 100 Marines, Soldiers, and Iraqi civilians were interviewed for the game.

Procedural architecture means the battlefield changes with every playthrough, intended to recreate the unpredictability of actual combat. You'll be leading a team through these randomised environments, with the 'Go Command' used to direct suppressive fire, breach and clear rooms, and more.

Why is Six Days in Fallujah controversial?

Six Days in Fallujah is based on real events, and lots of concerns have been raised about how appropriate it is to make a video game based on this particular battle.

A scathing write-up from Kotaku describes Six Days in Fallujah as a "war crime game'" pointing to an Associated Press report from 2004 for context. The AP report stated at the time, "As [the U.S. military] believes many of Fallujah’s men are guerrilla fighters, it has instructed U.S. troops to turn back all males aged 15 to 55." It is believed that a significant number of innocent civilians died during the battle.

The controversy around the game reawakened when the project was un-cancelled, with Psychology Today speaking of a "moral panic" and IGN Middle East reporting that "Six Days in Fallujah is complicated and painful for those connected to the real events".

5,000 people (and counting) have already signed a Change.org petition, which is titled, "Stop Highwire Games and Victura from normalizing the mass murder of Iraqis".

In response to all of this backlash, publisher Victura released the following statement:

Is there a trailer for Six Days in Fallujah?

Yes – a gameplay trailer for Six Days in Fallujah was revealed in March 2021.

While we wait for more information about this game to come to light, then, you can take a look at this gameplay footage below:

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Daniel FurnJournalist