Why did players interpret “A-0731” as a Unit 731 reference?

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Players linked “A-0731” to Unit 731 because the number “731” closely matched the infamous wartime unit’s name.

The label appeared in a “human drug trial experiment file” in the “World Depths” storyline updated on April 21. Once players saw “A-0731,” the “731” portion immediately reminded them of Imperial Japanese Army Unit 731, which carried out lethal biological and chemical weapons experiments on human subjects during World War II.
The number itself was the main trigger for the reaction

The specific sequence “731” was enough to set off the comparison. In player discussions, that number was read against the historical reputation of Unit 731, which is widely associated with wartime human experimentation.
The file context made the reference feel more deliberate

The number was found in a file described as a “human drug trial experiment file,” which made the wording even more unsettling for players. That combination of “human drug trial” and “731” made the historical connection harder to ignore.
Another character name added to the suspicion

Players also pointed to a registrar named “Yan Song” in the same storyline. They said the name phonetically resembled “Iwao Matsui,” a Japanese army general classified after the war as a major war criminal.
The reaction widened into accusations of disrespect

Critics said the game was trivialising historical trauma and crossing a red line of national sensitivity. The controversy became part of a broader backlash over the game’s in-game content, which had already drawn strong criticism from players.

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Why did players interpret “A-0731” as a Unit 731 reference?

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