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Following its highly controversial guideline changes on games that use AI technology, Steam developer Valve has again drawn the ire of the gaming community after removing two beloved fan-made projects, Team Fortress Source 2 and Portal 64. Production on both community-led games had been ongoing for years, leading many to question Valve’s sudden decision to take each one down after being historically known as a somewhat lenient platform.
This latest dispute also comes after a largely tumultuous end-of-year for Valve caused by developer Fntastic’s The Day Before debacle. Of course, this latest drama surrounding the Steam platform stems from a completely different and more intimate issue, as evidenced by Valve’s DMCA claim towards Team Fortress Source 2. According to the statement posted on Amper Software’s Github page, Valve’s reason for taking down TF2S2 is the developer’s use of copyrighted work from Team Fortress 2.
“The TF2 assets have been ported to Source 2 without permission and are being redistributed by Amper Software in a game mode for Facepunch’s S@box,” Valve continued in their DMCA claim. “Facepunch has not licensed any Valve assets for S@box. The unauthorized porting and redistributing of Valve’s assets without a license violates Valve’s IP.”
Amper Software and Portal 64 developer James Lambert have since gone on to provide separate updates on both games’ situations, with the former noting that “this DMCA takedown is the [final] nail in the coffin.” Conversely, Lambert revealed via their Patreon page that Valve asked them “to take the project down” because it relied on “Nintendo’s proprietary libraries.”
The fallout from both incidents saw numerous players head to social media to blast Valve for its sudden heel turn. One user expressed disappointment at the Steam developer’s recent moves: “First, Valve lifted their ban on AI games, and now they just DMCA’d TF2S2 and Portal 64.” “What the hell is happening inside Valve’s headquarters? The sudden shift [in] their stances has me very, very concerned about the future of Steam and Valve as a whole,” they finished.
Unfortunately, Valve has yet to provide an official statement on these claims and complaints. However, we will continue to monitor the situation and update this page with more information once it’s been confirmed.
In the meantime, check out our pages on the Palworld release date, the Prince of Persia The Lost Crown demo release date, and the PS Plus Extra and Premium games for January 2024.
