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Hatred is coming, whether gamers like it or not - and evidently, there's a significant amount of those who are interested in playing the murder simulator which has instigated intense debates about creative freedoms in video games.

The game was initially revealed with a controversial and brutal trailer several months ago, which prompted Epic Games to request that their Unreal game engine logo be removed from the project entirely so that the company could distance themselves from the title. Spurring plenty of feedback, both positive and negative, developer Destructive Creations' new title is set for a 2015 release, prompting them to begin taking pre-orders from Hatred fans.

The game passed the Steam Greenlight process last month after spending several consecutive days in the top spot, though even this process saw the game garner controversy - it was initially removed from the process by staff, only to have Valve creator Gabe Newell order that the game be placed back into the greenlight process voting line-up. Now that this process is over and the game has the green light, Destructive Creations' debut title will be an official Steam release - and with Valve backing the game, Hatred can now be easily accessed by millions of potential consumers.

Since Hatred has guaranteed its publication on the most popular PC gaming service the studio is moving forward with securing pre-orders. There are two tiers to pick from, with the most affordable getting gamers a digital copy of the game with a bonus official soundtrack for $18. The second edition is the same, but also comes bundled with a t-shirt that sports the game's logo for a grand total of $32. Those interested in securing their copy of the game and any pre-order bonuses can do so here.

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The new Hatred gameplay trailer - which surprisingly has a positive likes-to-dislikes ratio and nearly 200,000 views on YouTube - places heavy emphasis on the game's flamethrower weapon, even stopping for a moment so gamers could listen to the screams of a victim before continuing on with the rest of the trailer. The newly released screenshots also continue to visually depict the New York City Police Department, who have yet to comment on the fact that gamers can literally simulate killing members of the NYPD, going so far as to raid the NYPD Headquarters and eliminate their entire staff. This is one game that activist Jack Thompson would have had a field day with if he was still a relevant figure in political video game discussions.

It's clear that wherever it goes, Hatred is going to cause controversy for what it represents - but ultimately, it's a game that will be released, and sparks a remarkable discussion about the rights of gamers, developers and people who want to express their creative freedoms.

Hatred is currently scheduled for a mid-2015 release on PC.