Friday, February 14th 2025
Steam Removes Free Game From Store Over Malware Concerns
Steam recently delisted a free game from its store, named PirateFi, suspecting that it may have contained malware. As such, the platform has requested customers who installed the game to do a full system scan utilizing a trusted antivirus software, even going so far as to recommend a full system wipe. Valve claims it is likely that malicious files were opened on systems where the game was installed and launched, necessitating such drastic measures. As noted by TechCrunch, the game had a total of 51 reviews on Steam, with an average rating of 9/10. SteamDB reveals that the game was installed by anywhere from 800 to 1500 people, which is to be expected considering that the game was launched on the 6th of February and was live for almost a week before Valve took action.
With the above facts in mind, if any of our esteemed readers had the misfortune of installing the aforementioned game, we would highly recommend performing a full system wipe.
Source:
TechCrunch
With the above facts in mind, if any of our esteemed readers had the misfortune of installing the aforementioned game, we would highly recommend performing a full system wipe.
14 Comments on Steam Removes Free Game From Store Over Malware Concerns
Who's going to pay for those systems that it infected ?, more so those who don't really know how too.
I'd gather the malware was deeply hidden within the game files, or isn't traditionally detectable. (like, a script or part of the game that actively creates the malicious software?)
Steam is not gonna pay shit anyway, you can't ask them to have 100% detection rate.
Makes you wonder how many remains hidden, maybe on a timed trigger, and how many more are open to compromise in some non-obvious way.
*This* was a paramount concern back when Steam was still new. In ~22 years, this has been an exceptionally rare occurrence.
That, has earned trust.
Nowdays, I'm not sure whether the concern is newly valid (with escalating technologies and techniques)
or, if this is something that Valve is already silently doing it's best on, and this merely slipped through. o_O
I know the reality and detail to the situation is much more complex than I present it...
just, 'willingly taking the PoV of a know-little longtime Steam user
Valve needs to revisit their vetting process. Especially for updates.
In the meantime, I'm personally avoiding f2p games from unknown devs.
Hell, I've pirated at least a third of those. No issues. Due diligence required, as in all things in life, sure.
Do you really install and play anything that pops up on screen... I guess some people do. Why would I be installing PirateFi, pray tell? OH! Of course... because people are mindless social media sheep these days, following a daily hype and getting tricked into it... :D Darwin is doing good work for those people. Maybe they will curate their own minds a bit better next time.
This is a good example why i dont play indie games, untrusted, unknown developers