Mickey Mouse horror game Infestation 88 has been renamed after fans claimed the game contained hidden neo-Nazi references.
Developers at Nightmare Forge Games created the game after the copyright on Disney's earliest Mickey Mouse from the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie expired on January 1 – but the game's name and features quickly caused a stir.
Fans quickly called out the game for including 88 in the title, as the number has been used by neo-Nazi groups to symbolize the slogan 'Heil Hitler', with the letter 'H' being the eighth number of the alphabet .
Further backlash focused on the play on the word 'contamination', rat-based imagery and gassing in the storyline.
Gas chambers were used by the Nazis in World War II to murder millions of Jewish people in concentration camps during the Holocaust.
Mickey Mouse horror game Infestation 88 has been renamed after fans claimed the game contained hidden neo-Nazi references
Nightmare Forge Games has since issued an apology, clarifying that the 88 referred to the year 1988 and saying there was no “intentional use of Nazi symbolism” in their work.
They also changed the name of the game to Infestation: Origins.
In a statement to IGNNightmare Forge Games said: 'Unfortunately, at the time of the announcement, we were not aware of any additional significance the number 88 has.
“We learned through community feedback that this was the case and made this name change as quickly as possible.
'We would like to apologize for our ignorance on this subject and appreciate that this has been brought to our attention so that we can address it.
“There is no intentional use of Nazi symbolism in our game or studio, and we will continue to address any issues as they arise. We strongly oppose Nazism and hatred in any form.”
A spokesperson for the company's developer had previously told Kotaku: 'Our game is set in the 1980s, with the year 1988 chosen simply because of the symmetrical design in our game's artwork.
“Therefore, the 88 strictly represents the year 1988; no additional connotations are intended.
Developers at Nightmare Forge Games created the game after the copyright on Disney's first Mickey Mouse from the 1928 short film Steamboat Willie expired on January 1 – but the game's name and features quickly caused a stir.
Fans were quick to call out the game for including 88 in the title, as the number was used by neo-Nazi groups to symbolize the slogan 'Heil Hitler', with the letter 'H' being the eighth number of the alphabet.
'We are in the process of revising this artwork to clarify the abbreviation, as shown in the image below. Should there still be concerns, we are open to changing the name of the game.”
A synopsis of the game reads: 'In the year 1988, what was believed to be a vermin outbreak in several locations turned into something much more sinister.
'Infestation 88 is an episodic co-op survival horror game for 1-4 players where you and your friends are exterminators called in to deal with mysterious plagues caused by twisted versions of classic characters and urban legends.'
The expiration means that Steamboat Willie can now legally be shared, performed, sampled and more.
Other copyrights that expire on January 1 include Minnie Mouse and Tigger from Winnie the Pooh.
While this seems like a long-awaited moment in the entertainment industry, it could lead to media ventures potentially becoming “a political lightning rod in pop culture.”
Under U.S. copyright law, rights to works like Steamboat Willie expire 95 years after the original publication is released or registered by officials if the projects were released before 1978.
One dark truth behind all of this is how seriously copyright law has been taken in the past and how it has affected the Mickey Mouse character.
Disney has a long history of battles with copyright law that have caused problems for cartoonists like Dan O'Neill.
The copyright for Steamboat Willie expired on New Year's Day and media from the 1928 short film is now available in the US public domain.
The expiration means that Steamboat Willie can now legally be shared, performed, sampled and more
The company sued O'Neill for copyright infringement after the artist published a 1971 comic book featuring Mickie Mouse smuggling drugs and performing oral sex on Minnie Mouse.
O'Neill agreed not to re-sign Mickey after an eight-year lawsuit and told Variety last month that if he draws the character, he will owe Walt Disney “a $190,000 fine, an additional $10,000 for legal fees and a year in prison.”
It even led to Disney supporting a bill called the Sony Bono Copyright Term Extension Act.
The law known as the Mickey Mouse Protection Act, which was implemented, saved Steamboat Willie from being in the public domain twenty years ago.