• “I’ve played the game. I don’t think it incites gender conflict or deepens mistrust between men and women. Instead, it teaches players to approach love more rationally. I believe the intention is educational.”
• “The creators clearly used gender issues as a marketing tool. By choosing the derogatory term ‘gold diggers’ and focusing on isolated cases of fraud, they’ve unfairly targeted women as a whole.”
• “The heated discussion around this game shows just how much trust in love and marriage has already collapsed. Men and women alike are growing cynical and suspicious toward relationships.” Source: Zhihu, Sina Weibo
Beijing Youth Daily, a Beijing-based newspaper: “Through interactive storytelling, the game vividly illustrates the traps of modern dating, including emotional manipulation, blackmail and fraud. It serves as a lively and effective anti-fraud lesson, allowing young people to learn through gameplay and build resistance to emotional scams.” Source: official website
Jimu News, a Wuhan-based outlet under Hubei Daily: “In the name of exposing emotional fraud, the game reduces complex social issues to a gender war, generalizing women as scammers. Its message board has devolved into a platform for outright misogyny.” Source: official website
Zhang Shule, gaming industry critic: “The game’s popularity stems from the creators’ deliberate mixing of social issues into its storyline. They clearly anticipated controversy, knowing it would drive public discussion and boost the game’s visibility.” Source: Southern Metropolis Daily
A live-action video game targeting “gold diggers” has ignited fierce debate on Chinese social media over gender representation.
Released on June 19, Emotional Anti-Fraud Simulator, originally titled Revenge on Gold Diggers, the game targets women who manipulate romantic relationships to financially exploit men.
Created primarily by Hong Kong filmmaker Mark Wu and designers Qianfang Studio, players take on the role of a male character who helps a heartbroken friend exact revenge on women that have emotionally and financially defrauded him.
The game quickly shot to the top of China’s charts on major gaming platform Steam, surpassing the hit title Black Myth: Wukong. Controversy followed almost immediately. Supporters, mostly male players, praised the game for portraying what they see as the harsh realities of modern relationships. Some argued that “gold diggers” are a real and growing concern, and the game serves as a warning by highlighting their tactics.
Critics, however, accused the game of misogyny, saying it reinforces harmful stereotypes by painting all women as potential scammers, and that this is purely a female phenomenon. While the game presents itself as taking on emotional manipulation, many believe it does so by vilifying women in general, further fueling distrust between genders.
Responding to the backlash, the creators denied any intent to target women. On June 30, Mark Wu posted a handwritten letter on the game’s official forum, stating: “The reason I created this story is to fight against emotional fraud and to deliver the message: ‘Love yourself first. Only when you know how to protect yourself can you protect your love.’”
Old Version
