Workers & Resources: Soviet Republicwas removed from Steam after a former fan issued multiple copyright takedowns against the company. The game, which has a relatively small but dedicated fanbase, is now only available to those who have already purchased it. A legal battle will likely be the result of the former fan’s actions.
Workers & Resources: Soviet Republicis acity buildergame from 3Division, a Slovakian indie game company, and is based on what it would be like to run a communist country during the Cold War. The game is known for its attention to detail, giving players control over aspects of the game as specific as whether or not buildings have electricity. It was originally released in March 2019, and has received mostly positive reviews.
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The copyright issue began with a popular game guide released by the former fan in question. 3Division saw how much fans liked the game guide, and although 3Division already had a similar game mode in development, it offered to put the maker’s name in the credits. It promised to credit the maker of the guide when it released the new game mode, but he was unsatisfied with having to wait until the game mode was released, and began repeatedly reporting the videos of one of the game’s biggest supporters on YouTube. In the face of the player’s aggressive actions, the developers decided not to credit him, and the situation continued to escalate. The player reported more YouTube videos and allegedly issuedDMCA takedownsagainst the company’s website and the game itself, which led to it being taken off of Steam.
The developers have since learned that the person responsible for the DMCA takedowns is a lawyer, meaning that he has the resources to follow through with a lawsuit. However, 3Division has said that it will not back down. There couldpotentially be a lot of money at stake, as well as the reputations of both the former fan and 3Division, and company will defend its game and its actions.
This is not the first time fans and members of the public have gone after game developers with copyright infringement takedowns. One such example is when a YouTuber issued copyright takedowns against other players and members of theDestinycommunity, because he was issued a takedown of his own for uploadingDestinysoundtracks.Players originally believed that Bungie, the creator ofDestiny, was the source of the issue, and once the company cleared its name, it sued the YouTuber for $7 million. Issuing DMCA takedowns and removing content can hurt the reputations of the people involved and cause a great deal of financial damage, which makes it an effective tool against companies and influential members of the community, even when the claims are unfounded. The future ofWorkers & Resources: Soviet Republicis still uncertain, but it has more legal ground to stand on than the player bringing claims against it.
