Earlier today, two previously unknown indie games on the Steam platform were falsely presented as Helldivers 2, duping players into purchasing them. Gossip spread on various social media platforms revealing that two replicas of Helldivers 2 found their way onto Steam, offering them at reduced prices of $12.49 and $19.99. However, according to the data provided by SteamDB, both these games were in truth existing indie games.
The developers manipulated all the game's metadata to mimic the popular hit from Arrowhead Game Studios. The SteamDB history revealed that modifications to both games, which included changes to their titles, descriptions, screenshots, and even the information concerning the publisher and the developer, were made to align them with the genuine Helldivers 2. The games in question were actually Figurality by SoleOnBoard Studio and Do Not Smile by Whitehole Games. Given the similarities in release dates (both on November 4) and the timing of the changes made, it is plausible that both 'developers' are, in fact, the same individual.
By the time this article was being drafted, these games had been removed from Steam, indicating they were present in their modified versions for nearly three hours before they were discovered and delisted. However, the easy manipulation of the games, even to the extent where the publisher's name was reinscribed as 'PlayStation PC LLC' (linking to the actual PlayStation Steam page upon click) prompts serious inquiries concerning the degree of freedom developers exercise on Steam.
No, Helldivers 2 is not 75%/50% off on Steam. Someone else is using a different game and renaming it exactly like a Helldivers 2 listing as a scam pic.twitter.com/NLy1uUoxd6
— Wario64 (@Wario64) March 1, 2024
Helldivers 2, the authentic version, has enjoyed immense success on Steam, even reaching a staggering peak of 458,709 simultaneous players at one juncture. With the server issues plaguing players since its launch last month duly addressed, Arrowhead's chief, Johan Pilestedt, recently stated that the studio can now redirect its focus towards enhancing the game and developing fresh content. "Our attention can now pivot towards improvements to the game and pursuing our original plan. There are many exciting things on the horizon," he said.
Don’t miss out on what else we’ve got on XP Gained!
We offer daily Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo, PC , Steam Deck and other Gaming News. We have it all covered.
Sign up to comment or follow us on X (formerly Twitter).
