🚨 “STEALING SIM” GAME DROPS RELEASE DATE… GETS RATIO’D INTO OBLIVION INSTANTLY! 😱😂

Relooted – the “Africanfuturist” heist where black thieves “rescue” artifacts from WHITE museums – just announced Feb 10 launch… and GAMERS EXPLODED!

IGN trailer: 600K+ views, but REPLIES FULL OF “RACIST LOOTING SLURP” MEMES! Demo? Peaked at 22 players. Devs HIDING comments in PANIC! 🤦‍♂️

Modern audience GHOSTED their own slop… Is woke gaming DEAD?? You WON’T believe the savage roasts… 👇

The gaming world is buzzing – or more accurately, roasting – after the release date announcement for Relooted, an indie title from South African studio Nyamakop. Set for February 10, 2026, on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, as well as Xbox Series X/S, the 2D Africanfuturist heist game promises players the chance to assemble crews and execute high-stakes missions to “reclaim” real-life African artifacts from Western museums.

What was meant to be a triumphant trailer drop on January 15 has instead become a viral punching bag, with accusations of racism, poor gameplay, and pandering to a nonexistent “modern audience” dominating social media. The official announcement trailer, shared widely by outlets like IGN, racked up hundreds of thousands of views but was quickly ratioed – meaning replies vastly outnumbered likes – on X (formerly Twitter). IGN’s post alone garnered over 660,000 impressions, 5,200 likes, but thousands of mocking replies labeling it a “racist stealing sim.”

Relooted positions itself as more than just a game; it’s a “rescue mission” blending parkour, planning, and stealth to target items like the Cameroonian Bangwa Queen statue and the Ghanaian Asante Gold Mask, currently housed in institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the British Museum. Nyamakop, a small team based in Johannesburg, describes the project as a commentary on colonial-era looting, where an estimated 90% of sub-Saharan Africa’s cultural heritage ended up in Western collections. The studio’s website emphasizes its roots in African storytelling, with lead developer Ntsika Mahlalela noting in interviews that the game draws from real history to educate players while delivering stylish action.

The trailer, featuring sleek Unreal Engine 5 visuals, diverse Black protagonists in futuristic attire, and tense heist sequences set against museum backdrops, was initially hyped by gaming press. Engadget called it an “intriguing” title, while IGN highlighted its “high-risk missions.” Supporters, including Black gaming accounts like @DailyBlackChars, praised characters like Nomali for representing authentic African influences, sharing concept art on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

But the online reaction was swift and brutal. Within hours of the trailer’s drop, X erupted with memes, with users dubbing it “BLM: The Game” or “We Wuz Looters.” One viral post quipped, “Go get Relooted when it comes out. It’s about blacks stealing shit,” racking up hundreds of likes. YouTube channels like Doctor Disaster and Vara Dark piled on, with videos titled “Relooted is MoDeRn AuDiEnCe CRAP” and “Racist Stealing Sim Trailer ROASTED” amassing tens of thousands of views. They pointed to the demo’s dismal Steam concurrent player peak of just 22 in September 2025, dropping to single digits shortly after.

Critics accused the game of glorifying theft and reverse-racism, flipping colonial narratives into what they called “anti-white propaganda.” Reddit’s r/KotakuInAction lit up with threads like “Relooted Devs Embarrassed As Trailer Gets Ratiod,” drawing parallels to flops like Concord and Dustborn – titles mocked for prioritizing “woke” messaging over fun. One user summed it up: “Once again the ‘modern audience’ fails to support the work tailored to them.”

Nyamakop’s response has been muted. Reports surfaced that the studio locked comment threads and hid critical replies on X, fueling further outrage. Vara Dark’s video “Relooted Devs SILENCE Criticism” claimed devs were “embarrassed” as dislikes piled up on YouTube trailers. The official @nyamakop account, with its bio “We bless the rains down in Africa… but in UE5,” posted the trailer positively but has since gone quiet on backlash.

This isn’t Relooted‘s first brush with controversy. Since its reveal at Summer Game Fest in 2025, it’s been a lightning rod. PC Gamer noted its political edge, but gamers dismissed it as “niche propaganda.” Earlier coverage from CNN and AJ+ framed it as empowering, interviewing producers on repatriation debates – a hot topic amid ongoing Benin Bronzes disputes. French outlets like TV5MONDE highlighted its educational value on colonial restitution.

Historically, the game’s premise taps into legitimate grievances. European powers looted vast troves during the “Scramble for Africa,” with Britain alone holding over 100,000 African items. Repatriation efforts have accelerated: Germany returned Benin artifacts in 2022, and France in 2023. Nyamakop argues Relooted gamifies this dialogue, much like Assassin’s Creed weaves history into fiction.

Yet detractors see it as divisive. “South Africa has a long standing history of nepotism,” one X user sniped, tying it to DEI-like policies. Others mocked the art style as “MMORPG classes” or predicted Walmart heist mods. Brazilian and Spanish posts amplified the ridicule, calling it “woke y racista.”

Supporters push back. Streamers like @RetroMary_VT played the demo for MLK Day, calling it “a lot of fun,” while @DreamStationcc listed it among 2026 highlights. Black creators like @NewBlackStreet discussed it on podcasts, framing the hate as predictable.

As launch nears, Relooted exemplifies gaming’s culture wars. Priced as an indie ($20-30 range, per Steam wishes), it boasts strong visuals but faces wishlist skepticism. Steam page shows “Very Positive” demo reviews from a tiny sample, but concurrent players remain abysmal.

Nyamakop, fresh off a demo release in September 2025, remains defiant. In a Bluesky post, they shared Nomali’s concept art, emphasizing cultural pride. Whether Relooted rebounds or joins the flop pile – think Concord‘s 2024 shutdown – depends on if it can transcend the memes.

For now, the humiliation is real: A game built for reclamation has been reclaimed by ridicule. Gamers await Feb. 10 – not with hype, but schadenfreude.