PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - An Internet-based video game, which showed complete disregard for the tragic fate of the victims of the downed Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH17, has been taken down by a hacker who found the game disrespectful.

The game, titled Euro BUK Simulator 2014, requires players to shoot down commercial airplanes - including one with a MAS logo - with a ground-based missile launcher, and then collect the passports of fallen victims to gain points.

The site hosting the game now shows a message in Dutch left by the hacker on a plain, black screen, saying: "There are limits to Internet freedom. Internet freedom is a right, but please show respect.

"Out of respect for the people involved, I decided to pull the plug on it," said the message, which was signed off by a certain Anne Jan Brouwer.

The game was condemned by Belgian website VKMag three days ago as it made a mockery of the tragedy that killed 298 people. Screenshots of the game were also published on the website.

The face of Russian President Vladimir Putin was featured in the game's logo, and VKMag believed the game was created by a Belgian based on the site's Internet Protocol and domain name.

Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, some 50km from the Russian border, on July 17 enroute from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

All 298 people on board, including 43 Malaysians, were killed.