A recent uproar has emerged in the gaming world as Steelkrill Studios unveils a perplexing situation involving their latest release, The Backrooms 1998. Allegedly, this atmospheric horror game has been pirated, decompiled, and disguised under a different title by a group labeled as “COOL DEVS.” This cunning group stands accused of transforming the game and marketing it as their own masterpiece on various platforms, including PlayStation.
Taking to social media, Steelkrill Studios issued a heartfelt plea, armed with evidence, to the development community. They shared the distressing tale of their intellectual property being lifted and posed as someone else’s creation. This revelation is part of a broader attempt by the studio to alert fellow developers and gamers about the potential perils lurking in the shadows of the industry.
In exploring COOL DEVS’ catalogue, Mirror images of games such as Chained Together and Liar’s Bar have also emerged, raising suspicion and shedding light on this widespread issue within the community. It appears that steam users are less likely to be deceived by such scams, which could explain the alleged culprits’ preference for non-Steam platforms.
While The Backrooms 1998 is presently accessible via Steam, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Sony’s PlayStation, the version purportedly stolen by COOL DEVS continues to linger on the Nintendo eShop. This lingering presence serves as a cautionary tale, accentuating the importance of vigilance for both creators and consumers in the fiercely competitive gaming landscape.
