Published , by Chris Jarrard
Published , by Chris Jarrard
Though the project has not been heard from in quite some time, Six Days in Fallujah is one of the most infamous unreleased games of all time. Originally scheduled to be released back in 2009 under publisher Konami, the project was shuttered amid backlash about its content and how it would portray the real-life events that inspired it. The game is once again on track for release more than a decade later under new publisher Victura, an outfit formed by members of the team who originally worked on the game in its original iteration.
Victura is promising that Six Days in Fallujah is “the most authentic military shooter to date” and will tell its military and civilian stories “with the integrity they deserve.” Victura has tapped Highwire Games to handle reviving the project and preparing it for release. The team at Highwire is made up of former Bungie staff and most recently shipped the PSVR title Golem in 2019.
Konami reportedly abandoned the project in 2009 after backlash from the media and service members who were on the ground during the First Battle of Fallujah. Highwire was able to adapt work on the game into a new title called Breach, which saw a release on Xbox Live Arcade and Steam.
It is likely that the revived version of Six Days in Fallujah will meet some of the same backlash it received during its original development period. The real-life events that inspired the game are still a major point of contention for all parties involved. It was estimated between 4,000 and 6,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed during the battle. United States forces have also been accused of war crimes relating to the deployment of white phosphorus. The U.S. initially denied the accusations it used the chemical, then later admitted it had, in fact, deployed it as an incendiary weapon on the streets of Fallujah.
A posting on the game's official website indicates that Victura will be sharing more on Six Days in Fallujah in the coming weeks.