Batman game devs apologize, remove image of slain Russian envoy to Turkey

Telltale, a US video game company, has apologized for using an image of the Russian ambassador slain in Turkey in its new Batman game. Users of Twitter and video game websites noticed the similarities and slammed the developers for using the image.

In a statement to the site Gamasutra, the developers have apologized and said they are working on an update to fix the problem.

“An update to the game has been submitted this morning that will be removing the image across all platforms. We regret this incident occurred, and we are taking appropriate action internally to ensure that we continue to maintain our high standards in Production and Quality Assurance,” a Telltale Games representative told the site.

The now controversial episode of ‘Batman: The Enemy Within,’ a point-and-click graphic adventure video game, was released October 3. It was published by California-based Telltale Games, an independent developer and publisher of video games.

The episode has to be purchased in order to watch it online on the Telltale website. However, MKIceAndFire, a verified user with nearly a million followers, uploaded it on YouTube.

The nearly two-hour-long episode features Batman watching security cameras, which show a body lying on the floor in the aftermath of a Gotham robbery. The image of the body on the floor bears a striking resemblance to images of slain Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov.

READ MORE: Russian ambassador to Turkey dies after gun attack in Ankara – Foreign Ministry

Karlov was shot dead as he was speaking at the opening of an exhibition called ‘Russia in the Eyes of Turks’ at an art gallery in Ankara in December 2016. The gunman was identified as 22-year-old Mevlut Altintas, a member of Ankara’s riot police.

The similarity was noticed by video game news websites, which criticized the exploitation of the image of the assassinated Russian diplomat.

Eurogamer video game website said it contacted Telltale “and asked if the photo will be removed.”

“Telltale’s use of this image is frankly one of the most disgusting ways of cutting corners I’ve ever seen during game development, as well as showing a blatant disrespect for Karlov and his family,” Attack of the Fanboy (AOTF) website, which publishes video game-related content, said.  

Twitter’s gaming community also reacted with anger to the disturbing image.

Telltale Games is famous for releasing several franchises, including: Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Guardians of the Galaxy.