Austin, Texas. — Development on the new fantasy game Phinal Starr MCMVII was stalled momentarily when a request to choose a different sound for the ‘wargwulf’ enemy met with some pushback from the dev team, as well as other players in the game’s open beta.

“I don’t think people understand just how little of an issue this is going to be overall in the completed game,” Lead dev Samuel Fierstein explained. “Yes, we’re part of perpetuating a myth that wolves and large dogs are more dangerous and violent than they actually are, a myth that causes them to be hunted for sport with the vague cover of ‘ecological balance’ to this very day, but we’re really striving for realism in our game about magic and technology clashing in a sort of pastiche of 1500s Europe and Japan, but with bigger boobs, so it’s important that these fictional creatures we invented sound as realistic as possible. I mean, with attention spans plummeting year-on-year, you need a bit of trauma to keep your eyes on the product!”

The game’s sound engineer, Rebecca Wilson, chimed in.

“There’s a long, storied history of sound libraries. A lot of sounds recorded in the ’40s and ’50s are still in use today! You might notice things like ‘pottery breaking’ or ‘door creaking’ in movies and games of all budget levels, and ‘dog shrieking’ is just another sound whose origins you probably shouldn’t think about for too long. Just considering how little thought was given to children back then, you REALLY don’t want to dig too deep into how little regard people had for animals. Are we supposed to record a new, less harrowing sound that doesn’t remind people of their beloved childhood pet in pain or distress? Is that what you want?! Because if this game sells less than 2.5 million, it’s not going to matter!”

Beta testers were split on the idea, with most agreeing that the sound should probably be less intrusive, considering just how many of these things are being killed, but a few disagreed. YouTuber and self-proclaimed ‘Last Great Culture Critic’ Buck Zimmer being the loudest to insist, 

“Some SJWs are ‘concerned’ that not everyone can enjoy this bright game about friendship and personal acceptance because ‘the most common enemy sounds like an abattoir for a sadistic shelter when it dies’? Grow up! This is the real world where dogs die and they sound fucking terrible! Video games aren’t some ‘escapist entertainment,’ they’re real art and meant to be enjoyed by who I say can enjoy them! Okay?! Should I just go home and play eight straight hours of ‘School-chan Groper Sim 9’ until my hands are so chapped I have to call in sick again?! Grow up! Get a fucking job from your uncle like I did!”

At press time, the game’s publisher is looking to pivot to a live-service model at the last minute and lay off the entire staff after it underperforms.