Presidential hopeful Donald Trump tweets quite frequently, but his messages don’t usually relate to video games. Today, one of his did–and it didn’t go over well. He posted a fan-made video on Twitter that featured voiceover from 2010’s Mass Effect 2‘s Illusive Man (performed by Martin Sheen), specifically the part where he says, “We’re at war” and other dramatic things that make sense in the context of the game.
Publisher Electronic Arts took action against this video, removing it from YouTube and later from Twitter on copyright claims. It’s company policy that its assets are not used for political gain.
“The video was an unauthorized use of our IP,” a senior communications representative for EA told GameSpot today. “We do not support our assets being used in political campaigns.”
The video, titled “Trump Effect,” contained video of other politicians, including president Barack Obama, as well as Hillary Clinton and Ben Carson. Voiceover from Trump is also featured, while Sheen’s Illusive Man narration explains that, taken out of context, Trump “might be all that stands between humanity and the greatest threat of our brief existence.”
Mass Effect game designer Manveer Heir spoke out against the video, saying it’s “gross.” He also pointed out that Trump may not have considered or didn’t care that Illusive Man is considered a bad guy.
I love the idea that Trump may think he’s the Illusive Man, who is verifiably the bad guy in the game
— Mr. April (@manveerheir) April 4, 2016
@ryanlcooper hahaha. EA is a big company with lawyers, I’m sure they will discuss it and figure out what they want to do. This is just weird
— Mr. April (@manveerheir) April 4, 2016
The next Mass Effect game is Mass Effect: Andromeda. Just recently, what is believed to be prototype footage emerged, showcasing a new jetpack ability, among other things.