Save the Freedom was reported in November 2021 as a mobile game built around a fictional attempt to rescue George Floyd from police before his death. Its premise prompted criticism that it turned a real person’s killing into entertainment. Contemporary reports also linked the game to Iran’s Basij force, but they did not establish whether it made money or whether any proceeds went to Floyd’s family.
What was Save the Freedom?
In reports published on November 26 and 27, 2021, PerthNow and Complex described Save the Freedom as an Iranian mobile game whose objective was to save Floyd from being killed by police. The scenario was fictional: Floyd was killed in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020.
Both outlets attributed the game’s development to Iran’s Basij force. Complex described the Basij Resistance Force as operating under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and reported that General Mohammad Reza Naghdi publicly took credit for the idea. PerthNow reported that the project had been ordered by Naghdi. These are the outlets’ attributions; neither report supplies official game documentation.
What did the reports say about the gameplay?
PerthNow and Complex each reported that the game had 30 levels. Complex described increasingly difficult obstacles. PerthNow relayed a journalist’s description of enemy waves and changing weather conditions. Those details were reported accounts, not independently verified gameplay specifications.
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Why did it draw criticism?
The central objection was that the game used Floyd’s killing as an entertainment premise. PerthNow reported social-media reactions describing the idea as making a murder seem like a game and questioning whether proceeds would benefit Floyd’s family. Complex likewise reported criticism from users who saw the project as capitalizing on a tragedy.
The coverage documents those concerns, not their factual premise about money: it does not establish the game’s revenue, monetization model, or whether any payment went to Floyd’s family or anyone else. No individual speaker was named in the reactions quoted by PerthNow.
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How did the game story develop?
- May 25, 2020: George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- October 2020: Complex said reports of a planned game began circulating about five months after Floyd’s death, and reported Naghdi’s call for a game about rescuing Floyd from U.S. police.
- November 26–27, 2021: PerthNow and Complex published coverage of the released game and the backlash.
What remains unconfirmed?
The two contemporaneous reports establish what outlets said about the game and the public response, but leave practical questions unanswered. They do not establish whether Save the Freedom can still be downloaded, whether it had official licensing, or whether a physical edition or official merchandise exists. The reported 30-level count and gameplay descriptions should likewise be understood as journalism about the game, not the result of an independent test.
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Sources
- PerthNow, “George Floyd video game, Save The Freedom, blasted as ‘disgusting’” (November 26, 2021).
- Complex, “New Iranian Video Game With George Floyd Storyline Incites Backlash” (November 27, 2021).
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