The discovery of subtle references mocking Chinese President Xi Jinping has caused a popular Taiwanese horror game, Devotion, to be pulled from online game store Steam.

The horror-themed game, which was released on Feb. 19 to rave reviews, had players exploring a 1980's Taiwanese apartment complex while uncovering the story of a family embroiled in a religious cult.

According to a report by the BBC, the game was initially blocked in China after the discovery of a hidden insult that compared Xi to Winnie the Pooh -- a well-known trope used to insult Xi owing to their supposed likeness.

As of writing, the game is now completely pulled from Steam with developers, Red Candle Games, releasing a statement on their Facebook page citing “technical issues that cause unexpected crashes”, as well as “other reasons”.

The developers have also issued an apology for the offensive material.

Offensive easter eggs

What's on Weibo reported that the game had included an "easter egg" of an evil talisman with a stamp on it featuring words that would roughly translate to “Xi Winnie the Pooh Moron”.

The offending easter egg can be seen here:

The Hakka curse words are the four characters circled, while the left side of the stamp says Winnie the Pooh with the right side bearing Xi's name.

Easter eggs are commonly inserted into games by developers as a reward or a wink to dedicated eagle-eyed gamers.

Another supposed reference to Xi can be found in a newspaper within the game, which reports on an individual named "Baozi" or "steamed bun" being sentenced to prison.

"Baozi" and "steamed bun" are also nicknames used to mock Xi.

Game developers had also allegedly used a censored image of a young Xi in the newspaper.

Refunds sought by Chinese gamers

The discovery of the offensive easter eggs has incensed users on Chinese social media, with many asking for refunds.

It had also caused a spate of negative reviews to appear on the game’s steam page before the game was taken down.

Hashtags condemning the game have also spread quickly on Chinese social media.

Unauthorised use of Steam

However, the incident also highlights the use of Steam in China, which according to the BBC report, is not yet officially approved by authorities.

China typically keeps a tight watch on games, often banning content that is considered violent or having anti-government sentiments.

However, Steam, which is used by an estimated 30 million people within China, has allowed users to download and play games which are not officially authorised by the government.

Read more on Xi and Winnie the Pooh:

Top image collage from Kouki YouTube channel and Xi Jingping Facebook