Accuser of Copyright Infringement Faces Review Bombing

Schedule I Copyright Infringement Accuser Faces Backlash from Fans

In a surprising turn of events, indie game Schedule I, a dope pushing simulator, has been accused of copyright infringement by Movie Games S.A., the creators of The Drug Dealer Simulator series. According to a report by the Polish Press Agency on April 3, Movie Games S.A. concluded their legal analysis, asserting that Schedule I may have infringed on their intellectual property rights. They claim that Schedule I borrowed plot elements, game mechanics, and even the user interface from their series.

Despite the ongoing investigation and no official verdict yet, the gaming community has taken sides, with a significant portion rallying behind Schedule I. This support has manifested in the form of review bombing on Steam, where The Drug Dealer Simulator and Drug Dealer Simulator 2 have seen a surge in negative reviews, now marked as "Overwhelmingly Negative" and "Mostly Negative," respectively. Many of these reviews criticize Movie Games S.A. for what they perceive as bullying tactics against the indie developer, pointing out the hypocrisy in their actions given similar unchallenged titles in the past.

Despite this controversy, The Drug Dealer Simulator series continues to be recognized as one of the best criminal management games by various gaming outlets and fans. Meanwhile, Schedule I has carved its own niche as a new co-op crime simulation game. Released into Early Access on PC on March 25, Schedule I has quickly gained traction, amassing "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews on Steam and securing the position of the 2nd top-selling game on the platform. It has even outperformed popular titles such as inZOI, Monster Hunter Wilds, and the indie-developed game R.E.P.O.. As per SteamDB, Schedule I boasts an all-time peak of 459,075 concurrent players.

At Game8, we found Schedule I to be a surprisingly addictive and rewarding experience, dubbing it a "Breaking Bad" simulator. For a deeper dive into our thoughts on Schedule I’s early access release, feel free to explore our detailed article below.

Schedule I’s Copyright Infringement Accuser Gets Review Bombed on Steam