Since June 2025, over 70 indie games have been uploaded to Steam without permission by an unknown publisher using the aliases "me" or "myself." The stolen titles — including HardCop 2, Dungeon Minesweeper Chronicles, and Open Star Fighter — were originally published on itch.io by their rightful developers.

Most of the games have since been removed from Steam, but the perpetrator’s account remains active. The removals primarily occurred after direct complaints from the original creators — there was no noticeable automatic or proactive response from Valve.

This incident highlights several ongoing issues:

• Inadequate review process for new releases on Steam;
• No system in place to prevent the upload of stolen content;
• Responsibility falling on the community and developers rather than internal monitoring.

How Valve is responding

Valve is currently operating under the traditional DMCA model, removing content only after receiving a formal copyright complaint. At the same time, the account that uploaded the plagiarized games has not been banned.

Moderation on Steam remains reactive the company has not introduced automatic filters or any kind of meaningful publisher verification. This stands in contrast to other platforms that enforce stricter quality control and rights protection.

The Steam case is simply an extension of a larger problem with digital storefronts that are increasingly filled with shovelware and asset-flip games. It has also become easier with the widespread use of generative AI to create low-effort content, making it harder to moderate.

In the case of the stolen itch.io games, the vulnerability of indie developers is especially clear particularly for those without the legal resources to defend their work.

The mass upload of stolen indie games to Steam is a serious warning about the platform’s weak moderation. While Valve has removed some of the plagiarized content, the core issue remains. Developers are urging the company to implement stricter publisher verification systems and take more active steps to protect intellectual property.