CICC temporarily bans game ‘Gorebox’ following the Tacloban shooting incident

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) has temporarily banned the gaming app “Gorebox” following the recent school shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.

The move came after initial police investigations indicated that one of the Grade 9 suspects involved in the incident was an avid player of the game.

“Gorebox,” developed by F2Games in 2023, is described on Google Play as a “chaotic, physics-driven sandbox game where creativity meets unrestrained destruction.” Authorities noted that the game allows players to experiment with various weapons and features graphic depictions of violence.

“Just like Roblox, may laro, may shooting-shooting din, may firearm. Medyo bayolente po ang laro,” Police Regional Office 8 Brig. Gen. Jason Capoy said in an interview over DZRH.

Following this, CICC Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso said the agency is implementing a temporary block on the app as a precaution.

“We are blocking Gorebox temporarily as a precautionary measure pending the investigation. Within the day, expect the app to be blocked,” Paraiso said.

“We cannot ignore possible online influences that may have contributed to this tragic incident. Temporarily blocking the game will allow authorities to conduct a thorough assessment of whether the platform played any role in the actions of the suspects,” he added.

Paraiso emphasized that the agency’s actions go beyond the temporary ban.

“Our priority is the safety and well-being of Filipino children exposed to the internet. Beyond this temporary ban, we are reinforcing our monitoring efforts to identify online spaces that may pose risks to young users and to ensure that appropriate interventions are made immediately,” he said. — Photo from Google Play