Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1782965577006Screen Shot 2026-07-02 at 8.27.01 AM (8).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">CICC says GoreBox may be permanently banned in the Philippines over developer&#x27;s failure to explain game safeguards. <em>GoreBox screencap from Google Play</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Open-world gaming platform GoreBox may be permanently banned in the Philippines over its developer&#x27;s failure to explain its additional safeguards to authorities, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said Thursday.</p><p>The CICC <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2026/6/23/cybercrime-body-bans-videogame-gorebox-after-tacloban-school-shooting-1545">blocked local access to GoreBox</a> in the immediate aftermath of the school shooting in Tacloban City, Leyte, on June 22, which left three students dead and many others wounded.</p><p>GoreBox is a sandbox game that allows users to create and destroy scenarios using weapons and interactive environments.</p><p>The cybercrime agency had said that it would only restore access to the sandbox game, which authorities said could have influenced the underaged gunmen to carry out deadly school attack, if the developer adds guardrails to protect its users.</p><p>Gorebox developer Felix Filip however <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/26/gorebox-developer-declines-invite-to-senate-probe-on-tacloban-shooting-1020">declined to attend a Senate hearing</a> into the role of online gaming platforms in exposing minors to violent content and harmful online communities.</p><p>In his email, Filip insisted that the game is &quot;classified 18+ and is not intended for, or directed at minors.&quot;</p><p>For CICC Executive Director Renato Paraiso, Filip&#x27;s refusal to face Philippine authorities to explain whether or not GoreBox has enough safety checks is &quot;telling,&quot; which may lead to the non-lifting of the June 23 ban imposed on the game.</p><p>&quot;Explain and show to us you have sufficient safety, you have sufficient age verification, and you have control on your platforms na para ma-allow at masiguro natin na hindi ma-a-access ng mga bata &#x27;yan,&quot; Paraiso said.</p><p>He said that the agency has blocked access to GoreBox not because of its perceived influence to the gunmen but to prevent extremist groups from talking to each other on the platform and executing a similar attack in the future.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/technology/2026/6/24/cicc-gorebox-ban-to-stay-until-developer-adds-safeguards-1906">CICC: GoreBox ban to stay until developer adds safeguards</a></div><p>During Wednesday&#x27;s hearing, Sen. Risa Hontiveros identified<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/1/hontiveros-identifies-alleged-adult-groomer-of-tacloban-school-shooters-1042"> the shooters&#x27; alleged groomer</a>, which was possibly linked to the &quot;764&quot; network, considered a Nihilistic Violent Extremist group.</p><p>According to the US Department of Justice, the 764 network&#x27;s goals &quot;include social unrest and the downfall of the current world order, including the United States Government.&quot;</p><p>Members of 764 work with one another &quot;towards a common purpose of destroying civilized society through the corruption and exploitation of vulnerable populations, including minors.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9TDn4eDtNw8?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>GoreBox may be permanently banned in the Philippines over its developer's failure to explain its additional safeguards to authorities, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said Thursday.</p>

GoreBox may be permanently banned in the Philippines over its developer's failure to explain its additional safeguards to authorities, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) said Thursday.

CICC: GoreBox may be permanently banned in PH over developer's failure to explain game safeguards

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CICC: GoreBox may be permanently banned in PH over developer's failure to explain game safeguards

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 02, 2026 12:18 PM PHT

Read More:

CICC

GoreBox

Senate

Tacloban Shooting

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