Splitgate 2 CEO Apologizes for Controversial "Make FPS Great Again" Cap

This is more than just a cap. In the entertainment industry, there is a saying: "There is no such thing as bad publicity." However, Ian Pru, the CEO of 1047 Games, the developer of Splitgate 2, recently found out that this isn't entirely true. Last week, during a key presentation at the Summer Game Fest, Pru appeared wearing a black cap with the phrase "Make FPS Great Again" — an obvious reference to Donald Trump's slogan "Make America Great Again." The Splitgate 2 community, journalists, and casual gamers immediately focused not so much on the game but on the cap, calling the phrase offensive and insensitive. When the community reacted, Pru insisted on social media that he would not apologize and that the cap was not a political statement, but should be taken literally. However, today he changed his tone and posted a short message on X saying "No excuses, I'm sorry," along with a nearly three-minute video explaining his decision and intentions. "We needed to grab attention, and honestly, we considered various options, but this idea seemed the best to us," Pru said. He acknowledged that he understood the controversy surrounding the cap. The apology was not about the cap itself, but about the community's reaction to it. Pru added that he did not intend to divide them, but his actions caused this rift. "I apologize for what this has done to our community," he stated. He also noted, "We knew there would be controversies, but we saw this gesture as a meme expressing our truth."

At the time Pru made this gesture, in a trendy area of Los Angeles, near the venue for the Summer Game Fest Play Days at YouTube Theater, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was conducting raids, detaining people who were simply going about their lives. These actions sparked conflicts between those defending their neighbors and representatives of a brutal regime. When I mentioned the Trump-like slogan and the reaction to it, some commentators said, "It's just a cap." However, that's not the case. Mimicking a political statement that has been used for state violence is not a meme, but a continuation of that violence. It makes one think about the people nearby at the show and the workers at YouTube Theater, many of whom are immigrants or have immigrant families. I think of a worker at City Market Social House, where the Play Days were held, who told me about protocols in case ICE showed up: how people could hide in the basement or hand out cards to avoid speaking with immigration officials and putting themselves in danger. Pru's statement, regardless of its form, is not just a failed joke. It is a harsh reminder to these people that their lives and families are at risk. And saying "I'm sorry, it was just a meme" is not enough.