New survival game Once Human might ask for your ID – here's why

Once Human, the anticipated survival game by Starry Studio and NetEase, encountered significant backlash on its launch day due to controversial terms in its End User License Agreement (EULA). Despite previous enthusiasm from beta tests and the Steam Next Fest demo, players expressed concerns over the game's extensive data collection policies, which included the possibility of requiring government IDs. This stipulation prompted negative reviews and privacy concerns, leading NetEase to issue a statement clarifying their data privacy practices, including the immediate deletion of government ID information once used for specified legal purposes. Nonetheless, the controversy has impacted the game's Mixed review status on Steam, overshadowing its gameplay and server stability issues.

Players are upset with Once Human's EULA because it includes clauses that could require them to submit sensitive personal data, such as government-issued IDs, and indicates the possibility of NetEase collecting user data from external sources, raising privacy and ethical concerns.

Once Human is a survival shooter game from Starry Studio under the Chinese publishing giant NetEase. The game had built substantial hype through successful beta tests and positive reception at the Steam Next Fest. However, the launch was marred by issues related to its privacy policy, overshadowing its performance and player engagement. NetEase is known for its significant presence in the global gaming market, publishing popular titles and often participating in controversies concerning data collection and user privacy.