Infestation 88 Undergoes Name Change to “Infestation: Origins”

Nightmare Forge announced a Micky Mouse-based horror game on January 1st – the informally labeled “Public Domain Day”. The legal transition of copyrighted works usually takes place on the 1st of the year, based on the copyright laws of most countries. In 2024, most notably the Mickey Mouse cartoon “Steamboat Willie” was made public in the United States. It’s trademark status remains protected but there have been several projects already made in the classic cartoon’s image. Most infamously was the announcement of “Infestation: 88”; now controversial for more than just corrupting the classically wholesome image of Mickey Mouse.

Evil Mouse Antagonist, Infestation: Origins

The original name “Infestation: 88” caused major backlash because the use of “88” in it’s name. Often used as a symbol for hate groups, players voiced concern about possible ‘dog whistle’ signals inserted into the game. Nightmare Forge stated they chose the number “88” solely for aesthetic reasons. Upon learning of the grim history of the symbol the developers quickly changed “88” to “Origins”.

“Our game “Infestation 88″ is set in the 1980s, with the year 1988 chosen simply due to its symmetrical design in the game’s artwork/logo. Unfortunately, we were unaware of any additional meaning the number ’88’ has. However, after learning about this, we’re changing the game’s name to ‘Infestation: Origins’. We apologize for our ignorance on this and appreciate that this was brought to our attention so we could address it ASAP!” – Nightmare Forge via Infestation: Origins Discord, 1/2/2024

Nightmare Forge shut down the discussion channel in their server until further notice after an overwhelming response to the announcement.

Source: Infestation: Origins, Nightmare Forge