Amelia became an internet sensation.

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PR disaster? UK ‘woke’ anti-racism campaign spawns right-wing icon

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A controversial computer game in the UK, backed by the Home Office and designed to steer young minds away from the dangers of far-right extremism, has backfired, with the villain recast as a star.

Early this month, the interactive online game Pathways was rolled out for youngsters aged 11 to 18.

It was funded through the Prevent programme — a counter-terrorism effort designed to prevent radicalisation and developed by councils in East Yorkshire amid local tensions over migrant accommodations.

The game was intended as an educational tool to highlight how everyday online discussions could spiral into extremist views. It had a left-wing bias and used “woke” terminology, such as they-them rather than the specific biological sex of people.

It portrayed scepticism toward multiculturalism and mass migration as a slippery slope to radicalism. It warned that protesting the “erosion of British values” might land individuals in hot water with counter-terrorism programmes.

The goal of the game was to avoid the characters being reported for “extreme right-wing ideology”.

Characters could face extremism referrals if they chose to engage with groups that spread “harmful ideological messages”.

Researching online immigration statistics was painted in a negative, extremist light.

The game explains that sharing a video opposing giving emergency accommodation to Muslim men rather than to homeless armed services veterans is problematic.

The Home Office positioned Pathways as a proactive measure against online radicalisation in schools and youth programmes.

Shortly after its launch, people began mocking the game, with one viral post declaring it a “government propaganda simulator” that punished kids for curiosity.

Within days the Home Office and developers pulled the game offline.

But the star, or rather, the villain, of the game was already launched: Amelia.

Depicted as a purple-haired, choker-wearing young woman with a pink dress and an alternative “alt-girl” vibe, Amelia served as the antagonist: A charismatic recruiter pushing nationalist sentiments.

She urged characters to “defend English rights” and resist what she saw as cultural dilution through immigration.

In the game’s narrative, interacting positively with her ideas was a red flag, meant to illustrate how seemingly innocuous concerns could lead to extremism.

Soon, she was ironically embraced by the internet.

Far from being shunned, Amelia was reimagined as a relatable hero.

Online communities, particularly on the Right, turned her into a meme icon — a “waifu” (a term from anime culture for an idealised female character) – symbolising resistance to multiculturalism.

Shortly after the game was launched, posts flooded in: AI-generated art depicted her as an anime girl toppling statues or leading patriotic charges.

One X-user quipped: “Amelia is the biggest layup anyone’s given us in months — if we can’t turn her into a hate symbol, we don’t deserve to win.”

Commentators celebrated her as the “mascot of nationalism”, noting how the game inadvertently recreated the classic “slay the dragon, get the girl” trope for young players.

The memes proliferated, some amassing millions of views.

Artists drew her as a “racist goth gf”, blending her emo aesthetic with nationalist themes.

Videos and threads analysed the game’s “cringey far-left propaganda”, with Amelia’s lines about anti-immigration stances being amplified and celebrated.

Despite the game being pulled, Amelia lives on not as a warning but as a digital folk hero in right-wing circles, her image repurposed in countless tweets and artworks

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