Steam Platform No Longer Offering City Builder Game

Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic was taken off Steam after a previous admirer submitted multiple copyright removal requests to the company. The game, which had a limited but loyal following, is only available to those who already bought it. It is expected that a legal conflict will be set off by the past fan’s actions.

3Division, a Slovakian indie game developer, created Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic, a city builder game that portrays what it would be like to govern a communist country during the Cold War. It is acclaimed for its intricate details and allowing players to control aspects as tiny as electricity in buildings. The game was released in March 2019 and has gotten generally positive reviews.

The copyright dispute began when a former fan created a popular game guide. After seeing how much the fans liked it, 3Division offered to credit the creator in the game’s release. However, the creator was not content with having to wait until the game mode was released and started to report the YouTube videos of one of the game’s biggest supporters. As a result of the player’s aggressive behaviour, the developers decided not to credit the creator, leading to the situation escalating. The player then reportedly made DMCA takedowns against the company’s website and the game, which eventually led to the game being removed from Steam.

The DMCA takedowns were discovered to have been orchestrated by a lawyer, suggesting that a lawsuit is viable. Despite this, 3Division has stated that they will not relent. There is a large sum of money to be gained, as well as the images of both 3Division and the supporter, and the company is determined to protect both their game and their actions.

In the past, game developers have been subject to copyright infringement takedowns by fans and members of the public. As an example, a YouTuber once issued copyright takedowns against other players and members of the Destiny community, after receiving a takedown of their own for uploading Destiny soundtracks. Initially, the players assumed the takedowns were coming from Bungie, the creator of Destiny, but Bungie cleared its name when they sued the YouTuber for $7 million. DMCA takedowns, even when unfounded, can ruin reputations and cause financial loss, making them an effective tool against companies and influential people. The future of Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic is still up in the air, but the player bringing the claims against it has less legal standing.

Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic was initially released for PC platforms.