Valve has removed Fursan al-Aqsa: The Knights of the Al-Aqsa Mosque from its British Steam storefront after the U.K.’s Counter Terrorism Internet Referral Unit (CTIRU) requested the action.

The game, which was updated in November 2024 to include content referencing the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, had its U.K. availability restricted following this request, according to Eurogamer.

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The game, originally released in 2022, describes itself as offering a Palestinian perspective on the Israel-Palestine conflict. The November update featured scenes of Hamas fighters attacking Israeli soldiers, which led to the U.K.’s intervention.

Steam informed the game’s developer, Nidal Nijm, that the game would be blocked in the U.K. due to the CTIRU's request. In response, Nijm questioned the decision, pointing out that Fursan al-Aqsa was not much different from other shooter games like Call of Duty, which also depict violent military conflicts.

Valve responded by stating it had to comply with the U.K.’s regulatory request, saying that “games should live forever” and that the decision was based on CTIRU's guidelines.

Political, Legal Implications Of The Game's Removal

A CTIRU spokesperson declined to comment on specific content but clarified that the unit works with platforms to manage content related to terrorism.

Nijm, in turn, argued that the decision was political: "The blame is on the U.K. government and authorities that are pissed off by a video game." He also suggested that, by this logic, other games such as Call of Duty should also face scrutiny.

Fursan al-Aqsa has been banned in Germany and Australia for not passing those countries' classification boards. The game is still available in other regions, including the U.S.

In the U.K., those attempting to access it on Steam are met with a message saying, “This item is currently unavailable in your region.”

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