I'll take it back even further. Since the infamous controversy surrounding Mortal Kombat in the '90s, I think the world has just accepted that video game violence was just going to be a thing, and any levels beyond ripping a person's head off, spine attached, were inevitable.
Not advocating anything further, but at this point, I think we'll need outright porn in AAA gaming before we hear any more fuss about gaming pushing the envelope and stepping out of bounds. And yes, I'm aware pornographic games exist, but I'm talking about the next Call of Duty having hardcore, graphic sex before the pearl-clutchers come out of the woodwork to protect the innocence of "the chir'rens."
I do recall a certain level of general discomfort with GTA V and Rockstar surrounding the scene in which Trevor tortures a guy (pulling a tooth out with pliers, IIRC,) but even that was just an eyeroll that people had feelings about before moving on in the same breath.
"The peak of videogame violence?" We've been here for decades.