Red Shell tracker

The Red Shell Tracker is a tracker used in many popular games.

Red Shell Data Harvesting

The Red Shell incident occurred in 2018 when players discovered that several games had silently included a third-party tracking tool called Red Shell. This software collected anonymized data (like operating system, browser type, and screen resolution) to help game developers understand how effective their ads were at bringing in players.

The controversy arose because players weren’t notified or given the option to opt out, which many felt was a violation of their privacy. While there was an opt-out option, allowing players to disable Red Shell's tracking through redshell.io/optout or by contacting Red Shell directly, many felt this should have been communicated more clearly. As word spread, the backlash grew quickly across forums and social media, with accusations of spyware being leveled at games using the tool. Due to mounting pressure, dozens of developers—including Fatshark—publicly committed to removing Red Shell from their games.

Fatshark's response

Fatshark, the developer of Warhammer: Vermintide 2, responded to the Red Shell controversy by acknowledging the community's concerns and announcing they would remove the software. In a statement on their official forums, they clarified that Red Shell was used only to track the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns and did not collect personal information. They also stated that they understood the concerns and, due to the backlash and lack of player consent, they would disable and fully remove Red Shell from the game in a future update.

Consumer response

The consumer response to the Red Shell incident in Warhammer: Vermintide 2 was largely negative, with many players expressing anger and frustration over the lack of transparency regarding the data tracking tool. Many felt that the inclusion of Red Shell without prior notification or consent was a violation of their privacy. Players on forums, social media, and review sites criticized Fatshark for using tracking software that they perceived as a form of spyware, even though the data collected was anonymized.

Some players were particularly upset because they were unaware that the tool was running in the background, especially those who had obtained the game through free promotions or discounts.^{[citation needed]} Concerns were raised about the game's integrity and trustworthiness, with accusations that it might lead to further, more invasive forms of tracking in the future. This backlash led to widespread criticism, and in response, Fatshark removed Red Shell from the game in late June 2018, apologizing to players for the oversight and assuring them that their privacy would be respected moving forward.