Hood Warfare 2, a $5 gang shooter on Steam, is going viral

Hood Warfare 2, a $5 first-person shooter, has gone viral on Steam within a week of its release. The anonymous developers, known as TrapStar Games, have created a gang-themed, multiplayer Call of Duty clone set in the streets of Chicago, Illinois. The game's unique features include killstreaks like a "drive by" and a "snitch," which is its version of the UAV drone.

The game initially peaked at around 53 concurrent players on its release day but has since gained significant traction, climbing to 15,258 concurrent players as of now. Despite its modest rank of 1,151 all-time on SteamDB, the game has reportedly grossed $1.1 million with 219,000 units sold. The game's popularity has been fueled by content creators and streamers who find amusement in its exaggerated stereotypes of Black American gang culture.

However, this has also drawn criticism, with some arguing that the game feeds a narrative that Chicago is one of the most dangerous cities in the country, despite ranking outside the top 10 for crime risk. Some even accuse the game of promoting AI "vibe coding," astroturfing, and alleging it is a CIA psyop. Despite the controversy, the game holds a "Very Positive" rating on Steam, and its popularity continues to grow through enthusiastic coverage from content creators and streamers.