Post-apocalyptic shooter Misery's Steam page pulled following alleged takedown by Stalker devs GSC Game World

Misery's developer claims it's an "an maltreatment of power" and that they'll combat to person their crippled reinstated

The Steam leafage of precocious released post-apocalyptic endurance shooter Misery - seemingly unaffiliated with the Stalker mod called Misery - has been pulled offline, with developers Platypus Entertainment alleging it's the effect of a DMCA takedown filed by Stalker creators GSC Game World. Platypus accidental they're successful the process of warring this claim, which an email shared by Platypus themselves suggests is each astir copyright and purported usage of GSC's "game content" without permission.

As of writing, I tin verify that Misery's Steam leafage has gone missing, but it appears that each of the nationalist info presently disposable astir this evident assertion comes wholly from the Steam station successful which Platypus stock that email. "GSC Game World attacked Misery with a DMCA strike, and the store leafage is present suspended, truthful you cannot bargain the crippled astatine the moment," the station reads. "In their claim, they authorities that MISERY infringes connected their IP and that players' reviews notation S.T.A.L.K.E.R., which means it hurts their interests. This is perfectly untrue, and we volition combat backmost to reinstate MISERY connected Steam."

I've reached retired to GSC Game World for comment.

According to the alleged email from Valve successful the post, the storefront operators took down the game's leafage automatically erstwhile the takedown was lodged, successful bid to debar imaginable liability for immoderate copyright infringement themselves nether the rules of the US Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Platypus volition person the accidental to record a counter-notice attempting to beryllium the copyright infringement claims are inaccurate, and if they do, the copyright claimant would past person 10 concern days to record a full-blown lawsuit. If specified ineligible proceedings weren't initiated successful that timeframe, the crippled would automatically beryllium reinstated connected Steam.

"We’ve filed an entreaty and are waiting the 10 concern days for it to beryllium reviewed," claims a station to Discord station by Platypus' superior solo developer Maewing. "We’re continuing to enactment connected updates; determination volition beryllium 2 large updates astatine the extremity of the period and earlier the New Year. Right present we’re moving connected cats and dogs. Thanks everyone for your enactment and for spreading the word. And please, don’t insult GSC, conscionable accidental that they acted unfairly."

In the archetypal Steam post, they claimed that Misery is "a wholly antithetic concept" and "uses nary characters, plot, storyline, assets, monsters, music, code, etc., from [GSC's] games. It is each either primitively created oregon legally licensed." "We bash not airs immoderate menace to GSC oregon their IP, we bash not vie with their games, nor bash we usage immoderate of their IP," Platypus added, calling the alleged takedown "an maltreatment of powerfulness against tiny autarkic developers by a ample corporation."

Further complicating the matter, arsenic documented by PC Gamer, is an archetypal effect to the alleged onslaught filing which saw Maewing usage astatine slightest 1 slur. They've since edited this Discord station and apologised for "old posts and comments that included inappropriate and violative statements", but it inactive makes each of their posts urging others not to insult GSC ringing precise hollow.

There's besides imaginable for the full concern to person a governmental magnitude to it, with GSC being a Ukrainian studio, and Reddit users having spotted signs of enactment successful Platypus' Discord server for Russia successful the ongoing struggle betwixt the 2 countries. I've not been capable to verify the chats they've screenshotted myself, owed to the Discord allegedly having been scrubbed successful the aftermath of the takedown request. The screenshots see much slurs, this clip of a radical nature, and enactment for the Russian state-linked Wagner Group, a backstage subject institution accused of warfare crimes. There are besides a clump of instances of the missive Z, which has go a awesome of nationalist enactment for Russia’s penetration of Ukraine.

Maewing claimed successful the Discord station which saw them apologise: "I bash not enactment immoderate signifier of extremism, violence, oregon favoritism against immoderate radical of people. I genuinely worth and respect our players and friends from each countries and backgrounds."

As of writing, nary different games akin to Stalker look to person been deed with takedowns and to my cognition GSC haven't filed takedowns against the likes of Chernobylite and STALCRAFT: X before.