[The Editors' Verdict] Do You Know About the "Anti-Scam Simulator"?

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Last spring, a man in his early twenties jumped off a bridge in Chongqing, China. His real name was Liu Jie, and he was known as a game streamer under the nickname "Fat Cat" (Pangmao). Liu Jie had a girlfriend named Tan, whom he met through a mobile game club. On Chinese social networking services (SNS), rumors spread that Liu Jie's death was due to Tan's ongoing financial harassment. Claims circulated such as, "Tan demanded a large sum of money from Liu Jie to open a store," and "A ledger recording the money exchanged between the two is proof."

Tan's personal information was exposed in detail, and she became the target of severe online shaming in male-dominated online communities. She even received death threats from anonymous netizens. However, a police investigation found no evidence that Tan had exploited Liu Jie. The case was closed with no charges. It turned out that the person who orchestrated the harassment against Tan was Liu Jie's younger sister. The ledger was also fabricated. The younger sister did this to increase her own online fame.

Did those who criticized her reflect on their actions? Has the misguided perception, symbolized by the "Pangmao" incident?that men are being financially ruined by women?improved? Judging by the recently released Chinese game "Anti-Scam Simulator" on the Steam platform last month, it seems there is still a long way to go. The game tells the story of a man who, after falling victim to a romance scam, becomes a successful businessman and takes revenge on the scam organization that drove him to despair. The developer hid a text message in the game that reads, "May there never be another 'Pangmao' in this world." The Cantonese dialect term "lao nu" is repeatedly used in the game, referring to "women who feign affection to extort money from men."

This game continues to enjoy great popularity in China. At one point, it ranked first in global sales on Steam, even surpassing the daily revenue of the blockbuster game "Black Myth: Wukong," which had a production budget of over 100 billion won. In its first month, the game received over 42,000 reviews, with 78% being positive. The majority of players were men. Opinions about the game are sharply divided. Some criticize it for promoting misogyny and gender conflict, while others praise it, saying that the 5,000 won game saved them from losing 50 million won to a romance scam. One of the most liked comments on the game's community board described it as "a lament for Chinese men of our generation."

"Anti-Scam Simulator" is a bizarre product of the "incel" (involuntary celibate) culture, which is characterized by men who are hostile toward those who are sexually active while remaining single themselves. The New York Times, an American media outlet, reported on the enthusiastic response of Chinese men to this game, analyzing that it "reveals deep-rooted male anger and widespread social and economic anxiety about love, marriage, and financial stability." In recent years, many young Chinese men have become disillusioned due to high housing prices, a worsening job market, and the breakdown of social mobility.

It feels as though this story from a neighboring country is not so different from our own situation. Gender conflict is showing similar patterns not only in China and our country, but also around the world. Because it is intertwined with complex social issues such as polarization and recession, it cannot be easily solved by addressing just one aspect. However, it cannot be overlooked, as it is a major threat to men, women, and families, leading to hate crimes and low birth rates. There seems to be no clear solution to bridge the deepening divide. Perhaps that is why, while watching the recent confirmation hearing for the Minister of Gender Equality and Family?marred by controversies over abuse of power and questions about the candidate's qualifications?I couldn't shake the thought, "Is this really the time to be arguing about these things? What really matters right now?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.