The developers of the recently released 'Outbound' have landed themselves in hot water after asking players to remove negative feedback. As the community backlash intensified, the team issued a formal apology.

Outbound is a survival game developed by the overseas studio Square Glade Games. Players hop into an empty camper van, explore the world, scavenge for parts to build their own mobile base, and travel to wider regions. It launched on the 11th and, as of the 14th, holds a 'Mostly Positive' rating on Steam (714 reviews, 71% positive).

The controversy began when the developer started replying to Steam reviews. When some users pointed out that there was 'not enough content for the price' or that 'the scenery is pretty but the game is far too unfriendly,' the developer replied: 'The game is designed around freedom, so it lacks clear goals or a story. If it's not your cup of tea, feel free to request a refund.' They then added, 'If you have requested a refund, we would appreciate it if you could edit or delete your review.'

Players criticized the developer's response, with comments such as, 'Instead of worrying about review scores, try making a better game,' 'The developer seems to be suffering from confirmation bias,' and 'I was thinking of playing it later, but I've lost interest after seeing the developer's attitude.'

On the 13th, the developer posted a statement via the Steam community. 'We sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding caused by our recent replies,' they wrote, explaining that the first 24 hours post-launch were chaotic and stressful. 'Looking back, we realize our approach to communication was not appropriate,' they admitted. They added, 'We will no longer ask for reviews to be modified, and we will listen to your honest feedback.'