Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic was taken from Steam after a former fan filed a slew of copyright claims against the developer. The game, which has a very tiny but committed audience, is now only available to those who have already purchased it. The former fan’s activities are likely to culminate in a court struggle.
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic is a city-building game developed by 3Division, a Slovakian indie gaming studio, that is based on what it would be like to administer a communist country during the Cold War. The game is noted for its attention to detail, with players having influence over details such as whether or not buildings have power. It was first launched in March 2019 and has garnered largely excellent feedback.
The former fan in question produced a popular gaming guide, which sparked the copyright controversy. Although 3Division already had a comparable game mode in development, it promised to add the maker’s name in the credits after seeing how much people loved the game guide. It promised to recognise the creator of the guide when the new game mode was available, but he became dissatisfied with having to wait and began constantly reporting the videos of one of the game’s greatest fans on YouTube. In response to the player’s violent behaviour, the developers opted not to credit him, and the problem worsened. The gamer allegedly reported more YouTube videos and made DMCA takedowns against the company’s website and the game itself, causing it to be removed from Steam.
The developers have recently discovered that the individual responsible for the DMCA takedowns is a lawyer, which means he has the wherewithal to file a lawsuit. 3Division, on the other hand, has stated that it would not back down. There might be a lot of money at risk, as well as the former fan’s and 3Division’s reputations, and the firm will defend its game and its activities.
This is not the first time fans and members of the public have filed copyright infringement takedowns against game makers. One such instance was when a YouTuber ordered copyright takedowns against other Destiny gamers and members of the Destiny community after receiving his own takedown for sharing Destiny music. Gamers first blamed Bungie, the creator of Destiny, for the problem, and although the business cleared its reputation, it sued the YouTuber for $7 million. Filing DMCA takedowns and deleting content may harm people’s reputations and inflict significant financial damage, making it a useful tool against corporations and important members of the community, even when the charges are false. Workers & Resources: Soviet Republic’s future remains unknown, but it has more legal standing than the player filing claims against it.
